€      « 


If 


I 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 


MORBIHAN  ! 

HIMSELF!  " 


I  WOULD  SAY  THE  NOBLEMAN  FORGOT 
FRONTISPIECF..      See  page  298 . 


The  Gallant  Rogue 


By 
BURTON  KLINE 


WITH  FRONTISPIECE  BY 

F.   VAUX  WILSON 


BOSTON 

LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY 
1921 


Copyright,  IQ2I, 
Bv  BURTON  KLINE. 

A II  rights  reserved 
Published  April,  1921 


To 
MT  MOTHER-IN-LAW 


2136588 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 


The  Gallant  Rogue 


CHAPTER  I 

SOMEWHAT  amused  at  his  ridiculous  situa- 
tion, Canardin  hummed  a  little  tune.  With 
his  dashing  velvet  coat  tucked  under  one  arm, 
and  his  red-heeled  boots  flung  over  his  shoulder 
on  a  cord,  Canardin  picked  his  way  along  in  the 
dead  of  night — neatly  he  picked  his  way  across 
the  roofs  of  Paris. 

It  was  not  often  in  these  days  of  his  fame  and 
prosperity  that  Canardin  returned  in  such  a 
fashion  and  by  such  a  route  from  masquerade  or 
tavern.  More  often  he  bribed  one  of  the  King's 
guards  to  haul  him  home  in  one  of  the  public  car- 
riages. But,  thankful  in  the  present  emergency 
for  practice  in  the  past,  Canardin  hummed  his 
tune  and  made  his  way  across  the  slippery  tiles 
with  the  agility  and  unconcern  of  a  cat.  Hap- 
pily for  that  other  sleek  prowler  of  the  moonlit 
paths,  the  cat  has  only  gravity  to  fear,  and  the 
occasional  stone  of  a  mischievous  boy.  Canardin 


4  THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

was  being  stalked  by  sterner  forces.  Not  simply 
the  police  of  Paris,  but  the  police  of  France  were 
upon  his  track.  A  moment  before,  a  squad  of 
them  had  stood  guard  in  the  street  before  the 
very  house  he  was  upon,  and  he  knew  it.  Knew 
it?  Had  he  not  paused  for  a  low  laugh  at  their 
awed  remarks  about  him  and  their  sage  sugges- 
tions toward  his  capture? 

With  excellent  reason  did  Canardin's  taste  in 
the  everyday  color  of  a  coat  run  to  the  greenish- 
gray  which  so  aptly  matched  the  stones  in  the 
dark  alleys  of  Paris  by  day ;  and  to  the  waistcoat 
and  small  clothes  of  a  rusty  red,  which  so  nicely 
harmonized  with  the  tiles  of  its  roofs  by  night. 
So  Canardin  hummed  his  little  tune  and  crept 
along.  The  narrowest  avenue  of  escape  would 
suffice  for  a  cunning  which  had  never  yet  failed 
him.  It  is  true  that  the  lateness  of  the  hour 
brought  every  minute  nearer  the  rising  of  the 
moon ;  but  the  same  lateness  had  sent  to  bed  the 
people  who  might  play  the  spy  upon  him  if  they 
dared. 

Moreover,  at  that  very  instant  Canardin  des- 
cried, only  a  few  feet  ahead  of  him,  a  waterspout 
which  led  down  the  rear  side  of  the  house  into  a 
dark  and  deserted  alley.  It  rather  tickled  his 
fancy,  the  idea  of  there  adjusting  one  of  his  light 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE  5 

disguises  and  joining  the  provost  in  the  street  in 
front,  as  he  had  done  more  than  once  before,  with 
a  gracious  offer  of  his  assistance  in  trailing  down 
the  notorious  Canardin. 

In  a  moment  his  foot  was  on  the  scupper  at  the 
top  of  this  heavy  bronze  drain.  First  testing  its 
security,  he  let  himself  down,  gripping — even 
choking — the  pipe  with  his  powerful  hands  and 
feeling  for  its  joints  with  his  feet.  This  was  not 
the  first  time  the  sturdy  builders  of  Paris,  with- 
out knowing  it,  had  befriended  Canardin  with 
such  a  ladder. 

At  the  third  joint  in  the  pipe,  it  must  be  said, 
Canardin  came  to  a  sudden  halt.  For  imme- 
diately below  him,  to  one  side,  was  a  window, 
open  and  faintly  lighted,  which  he  had  not  been 
able  to  observe  from  the  eaves  above. 

For  a  period  Canardin  clung  thus  in  space, 
motionless,  to  make  note  if  he  had  been  over- 
heard. Lowering  himself  by  the  length  of  an- 
other joint  in  the  pipe,  he  could  see  that  a  single 
candle  cast  the  light  in  the  room.  Thrust  in  the 
neck  of  a  bottle  standing  on  a  plain  deal  table, 
it  lifted  its  feeble  rays  above  a  litter  of  papers. 
Otherwise,  except  for  a  tumbled  cot,  the  room 
was  empty  of  furnishings,  and  yet  to  Canardin  it 
was  instantly  crowded  with  interest. 


6  THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Seated  before  the  table,  with  his  back  to  the 
window,  was  a  young  man,  sometime  writing 
busily  and  sometime  pausing  to  sigh  and  dash  his 
fingers  through  his  hair.  One  other  object  of  in- 
terest attracted  the  eye  of  Canardin.  On  the 
table,  among  the  papers  piled  about,  stood  a  bag 
unmistakably  filled  with  money,  for  two  or  three 
shining  pieces  of  gold  had  slipped  through  a  hole 
in  its  side. 

"  Bah !  Only  a  poet ! "  had  been  Canardin's 
first  thought.  "If  he  so  much  as  breathes  an 
alarm,  I'll  crack  his  neck !  But  no !  "  he  quickly 
thought  on.  "The  money!  A  poet  with  gold? 
A  miser,  as  I  live!  I  must  have  a  word  with 
Monsieur  the  Miser." 

The  police  of  the  world  might  be  and  were  at 
Canardin's  heels,  with  the  gibbet  in  plain  view 
before  him;  at  the  sight  of  gold  he  forgot  them 
all, — gold,  that  is,  hoarded  for  no  sake  but  its 
own.  This  was  not  for  greed  of  the  money,  be  it 
said,  for  Canardin  now  had  plenty  of  that ;  it  was 
rather  because  nothing  but  gold  is  so  stoutly  de- 
fended, nothing  else  is  so  pleasantly  won.  Can- 
ardin paused  to  consider.  From  the  pipe  where 
he  clung  it  would  cost  him  a  second's  effort  to 
swing  a  stockinged  foot  to  the  window-sill ;  from 
the  sill  to  the  table  where  lay  the  money  meant 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE  7 

two  steps  more.  Canardin  felt  for  one  of  his 
pistols. 

Noiselessly  lie  laid  hold  of  the  open  sash  and 
let  himself  in,  ready  for  the  pounce  and  for  what 
consequence  soever  might  ensue;  and  but  for  a 
trifling  circumstance,  another  error  of  judgment 
might  have  stood  to  the  debit  of  the  first  outlaw 
of  France.  One  of  Canardin's  boots,  swaying  at 
his  back,  had  knocked  against  the  frame  of  the 
window  as  he  let  himself  in,  and  at  sound  of  it 
the  young  man  at  the  table  whisked  about  with  a 
violent  start. 

This  was  natural  enough.  What  was  less  than 
natural  and  more  than  strange,  Canardin  him- 
self was  subject  to  a  start,  and  for  a  second  stood 
rigid  in  a  pose  of  stupefaction.  Then,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  course,  he  instantly  recovered  his  wits  and 
rushed  forward  with  outstretched  hand. 

"  Lavallais !  "  he  cried  in  a  low  voice.  "  Can  it 
be  you?  Good  old  Lavallais!  My  faith,  but 
this  is  droll !  What  a  circumstance !  " 

The  young  man  thus  addressed  rose  stiffly  and 
in  some  bewilderment,  and  though  he  took  the 
extended  hand,  he  studied  with  equal  astonish- 
ment the  curious  combination  of  elegance  and 
disorder  in  the  dress  of  his  guest,  but  especially 
the  pistol  in  his  visitor's  other  hand. 


8  THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  I  —  I  trust,"  lie  stammered,  "  I  am  not  want- 
ing in  hospitality.  Monsieur  will  understand,  I 
am  sure.  But  truly  I  am  not  accustomed,  at  this 
hour  -  This,  Monsieur  will  admit,  is  a  tri- 


"  Unexpected?  "  Canardin  clapped  a  hand  on 
the  shoulder  of  his  startled  host  and  laughed  not 
the  less  gayly  because  his  laughter  was  attuned 
by  habit  to  the  pitch  of  caution.  "  Of  course  it's 
unexpected  !  That  has  long  been  my  profession, 
my  dear  Lavallais.  That  is  how  I  have  garnered 
my  wealth  —  by  being  unexpected.  And  even  yet 
you  do  not  recall  me?  You  who  have  trailed 
me  for  years!  You  do  not  recognize  your  Can- 
ardin? " 

"  Canardin?  " 

"Not  so  loud,  my  dear  Lavallais!  Not  so 
loud,  I  beg  of  you  !  Wait  !  Pardon  the  liberty. 
We  who  have  so  much  to  discuss  must  not  be 
overheard."  The  intruder  moved  stealthily  to 
the  window,  taking  pains  to  throw  no  shadow 
from  the  candle,  and  after  a  cautious  glance  be- 
low he  noiselessly  lowered  the  sash.  "  That's 
better,  more  intimate,"  he  sighed,  turning  back 
again  into  the  little  room.  "  Quite  so,  my  dear 
Lavallais  —  Canardin  !  The  Brignon  of  those  old 
days  at  Clermont  College,  now  long  the  Canardin 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE  9 

of  general  notice,  whose  company  you  have 
courted  so  long.  Since  the  police  gave  me  that 
name,  I  have  refused  to  acknowledge  any  other." 

"  Canardin? "  Scarcely  believing  his  ears, 
and  even  less  his  eyes,  young  Lavallais  looked  his 
man  up  and  down. 

"Aye,  Canardin.  '  Can  it  be  possible ! '  you 
say.  It  is  incredible.  Yet  here  I  am,  the  man 
whose  capture  would  make  your  name,  your  for- 
tune, your  place  at  court !  A  hundred  times  you 
have  almost  had  me.  Now  I  blunder  in  on  you, 
with  equal  surprise  to  us  both.  Admit,  my  dear 
Lavallais,  this  is  droll,  is  it  not?  And  you  do 
not  offer  me  even  a  chair!  What!  Only  one 
chair  in  your  apartment,  Lavallais?  I  must  or- 
der you  one.  A  gilded  one,  to  match  your 
deserts." 

Coolly  occupying  the  solitary  chair  in  the 
room,  Canardin  fanned  himself  with  his  plumed 
hat. 

"  The  couch  for  you,  Lavallais,  if  you  must 
sit,"  he  fared  on.  "  For  myself  I  must  confess  I 
am  a  bit  tired.  My  profession  " — and  again  the 
low  laugh  of  a  man  who  had  not  a  care  in  the 
world — "  takes  me  well  into  the  night,  as  you  see. 
And  I  have  been  kept  very  busy  of  late.  But 
you "  Canardin  let  his  eyes  rove  over  the 


10        THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

papers  on  the  table  at  his  side.  They  rested, 
finally,  where  his  hand  soon  came  to  rest,  on  the 
bag  of  gold.  "  I  observe  you  also  toil  by  night. 
And  by  all  the  signs,  your  toil  is  not  altogether  in 
vain! — for  all  the  cracks  in  your  walls."  He 
glanced  about  with  an  air  mocking  and  critical. 

"  If — if  you  mean  the  money,"  Lavallais  stut- 
tered, and  hastened  out  a  hand  toward  it  in  futile 
protection,  "  it — it  is  none  of  mine." 

"Then  I  may  take  it  with  the  better  conscience. 
It  would  distress  me  to  have  you  object." 

"Ah,  no !  My  dear  Brignon !  Kill  me  if  you 
must " 

"  My  dear  fellow !  I  do  not,  precisely,  make  a 
habit  of  killing.  It  is  nearly  always  an  acci- 
dent." 

"But — but  leave  the  money  to  its  rightful 
owner,  Brignon!  Else  my  name  is  blackened 
completely ! " 

"  Come,  come,  Lavallais ;  you  tremble !  When 
I  mean  you  no  harm."  The  great  fellow  rose 
and  laid  his  hands  on  Lavallais's  shoulders,  with 
a  playful  pinch  by  way  of  displaying  his  strength 
when  he  wished.  "  Surely  one  may  have  his  lit- 
tle jest?  What!  Harm  a  hair  on  the  head  of 
an  old  chum  at  college?  How  little  you  know 
your  Canardin!  Besides,  my  dear  Lavallais, 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         11 

you  no  longer  have  so  much  hair  to  harm ! " 
Laughingly  Canardin  brushed  a  hand  over  the 
scanty  locks  of  his  host.  "  Come !  Am  I  not  the 
very  making  of  you,  Lavallais?  Think!  To- 
morrow you  will  be  able  to  stroll  into  the  tavern 
for  your  stoup,  and  you  will  drop  the  words,  air- 
ily, this  way — '  Canardin?  Ah,  I  have  been  close 
indeed  on  his  trail,  that  Canardin!  And  no 
longer  ago  than  last  night.'  Then  you  will  yawn 
over  the  sensation  you  have  created.  They  will 
demand  to  know  more.  In  two  weeks  they  will 
make  you  procureur-general.  Have  you  not 
looked  to  Canardin  to  make  your  reputation  ever 
since  you  entered  the  law?  Well!  Here  I  am. 
You  have  touched  the  very  hand  of  Canardin. 
You  are  a  made  man.  Yet  you  tremble  like  a 
leaf!  Or  is  it  from  joy?  Come,  come,  my  dear 
Lavallais" — another  shake  of  the  shoulders — 
"  do  you  not  owe  me  a  bit  of  hospitality  for  all 
this?  Where  is  your  wine,  your  cheese?  Surely 
a  notary  will  have  a  hunk  of  cheese  hidden  some- 
where, a  morsel  of  bread." 

Lavallais  sank  back  upon  his  cot,  in  relief  as 
much  as  amazement,  as  he  watched  this  hunted 
man,  long  and  eagerly  sought  by  half  the  forces 
of  France,  stalk  about  the  room  as  if  he  had  all 
of  eternity  at  his  disposal,  and  leisurely  rum- 


12         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

mage  the  cupboard.  In  a  moment  Canardin  re- 
turned to  the  table,  bearing  his  prize  of  a  loaf  of 
bread  and  a  lump  of  the  expected  cheese,  which 
he  set  down  on  the  table  with  an  arch  look,  to 
draw  attention  to  his  sagacity.  A  pitcher  also 
he  had  taken  down,  having  first  smelled  of  its 
contents  and  then  gingerly  tasted  them. 

"  Ah !  "  Canardin  smacked  his  lips  in  exquisite 
irony.  "  Milk !  Excellent  for  the  nerves,  my 
dear  Lavallais;  excellent  for  the  nerves!  And 
now  " — with  his  cheeks  still  rounded  with  the 
bread  and  cheese,  he  sank  into  the  chair  again, 
his  feet  sprawled  out  at  ease  before  him — "  now, 
my  friend,  let  me  help  myself  also  to  a  bit  of  your 
talk.  You  have  been  niggardly  with  it.  I  must 
say,  my  dear  Lavallais,  you  are  a  sparing  host." 

Driven  to  collect  himself,  Lavallais  strove, 
though  it  cost  him  an  effort,  to  steady  his  voice. 
"  My  dear  Brignon — or  Canardin,  I  beg  your 
pardon — this  is  droll,  as  you  say.  I  am  sorry 
you  have  been  so  poorly  entertained.  Perhaps  if 

you  understood I  am  indeed  obliged  to  you 

for  your  visit.  It  is  " — Lavallais  laughed  nerv- 
ously— "  even  stranger  than  you  know.  Even 
more  droll.  I — I  doubt,  however,  if  your  call 
will  mean  to  me  all  that  you  are  kind  enough  to 
predict.  When  you  entered "  he  faltered, 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         13 

and  ended  by  pointing  to  the  papers  on  the  table. 
"  See? "  He  rose  and  selected  a  sheet  lying 
uppermost. 

"  Indeed !  "  Languidly  Canardin  accepted  the 
proffered  paper.  "  What  have  we  here?  You 
haven't " — he  raised  two  twinkling  eyes  before 
reading — "  been  rifling  some  small  estate;  my 
dear  boy?  " 

"  Far  from  that !  " 

Canardin  sighed.  "What  a  pity!  I  was  on 
the  edge  of  proposing  a  partnership.  As  men  of 

the  same  mind,  Lavallais However !  "  He 

turned  his  attention  to  the  paper  and  read  for  a 
space,  until  he  exclaimed,  "As  I  live !  "  and  again 
bent  a  quick  glance  upon  the  ashen  face  of  Laval- 
lais. 

"  I  take  it,  you  see,"  Lavallais  laughed  uneas- 
ily, "  I  am  little  likely  to  interfere  with  any  plans 
of  yours." 

Canardin  returned  to  the  paper  and  read  on. 
"So!  Can  it  be!  The  last  fond  farewell,  it 
would  seem.  You,  Lavallais!  The  calm,  col- 
lected, irreproachable  Lavallais!  You  were  on 
the  point  of  something  desperate.  You  hired 
this  poor  place  for  the  purpose.  My  dear  fel- 
low ! "  Tossing  aside  the  paper,  Canardin 
started  up  and  grasped  the  hands  of  his  friend, 


14         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

and  still  heightened  that  worthy's  astonishment. 
"  I  congratulate  you !  No  one  is  so  fully  alive  as 
the  man  about  to  kill  himself.  He  has  served 
notice.  He  has  proclaimed  that  he  will  not  be 
run  over.  He  has  treated  life  to  his  contempt. 
But  wait ! "  He  shook  Lavallais  as  he  would  a 
boy.  "  It  is  the  very  moment  to  begin !  Have 
you  not  thrown  an  alarm  into  the  world?  Have 
you  not  warned  it  to  beware  of  you?  From  now 
on  it  has  to  do  with  a  man  of  spirit.  Come !  Sit 
there  and  tell  me  all !  But  one  moment ! " 

Canardin  adjusted  himself  comfortably  in  the 
solitary  chair.  "  Now !  Yet  perhaps  I  can  guess 
it.  She  has  refused  your  hand.  She  has  held 
you  worthless.  And  you  were  about  to  add  final 
proof  to  her  estimate!  What  folly!  To  con- 
found a  proud  woman,  one  has  only  to  live  on. 
And,  if  possible,  remain  at  a  distance.  That  pre- 
caution, Lavallais,  you  will  notice,  has  been 
taken  by  all  the  poets."  Canardin  laughed 
gently,  but  by  no  means  merrily,  it  seemed  to 
Lavallais.  For  a  moment,  Canardin  himself  was 
silent.  "However,"  he  collected  himself,  "the 
sex  has  survived  worse  affronts  than  that!  Be- 
sides, it  is  precisely  as  they  say.  Woman  in- 
spires to  higher  things.  To-night  one  of  them 
inspired  me  to  the  very  roofs  of  Paris.  Turn 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         15 

where  I  pleased,  there  was  her  coach  at  my  heels, 
and  her  mocking  smile  at  the  window.  Among 
all  those  who  have  honored  me  with  their  pur- 
suit, my  dear  Lavallais,  none  has  interested  me 
so  much.  I  must  learn  who  she  is  " — Canardin 
yawned,  as  Lavallais  thought,  to  cover  something 
— "  and — er — make  her  way  less  difficult.  But 
forgive  me !  "  His  absent  air  had  vanished.  "  It 
is  your  troubles  that  concern  us.  And  I  may  be 
amiss.  The  gold  on  the  table  here — it  is  not 
enough  by  half  to  satisfy  the  old  usurer.  So  you 
would  let  him  bully  others  by  pointing  to  your 
horrid  example.  Very  well.  Where  is  this  fowl 
usurer?  I  have  a  way  with  such  fellows." 

"No,  my  dear  Canardin,"  Lavallais  laughed, 
"it  is  not " 

"  i  My  dear  Canardin ! '  That  is  good.  Laval- 
lais, as  a  host  you  are  improving !  " 

"  It  is  not  as  you  suppose,"  Lavallais  was 
forced  to  laugh  in  spite  of  himself. 

"What!  It  is  worse?  Lavallais,  I  begin  to 
think  well  of  you.  France  will  some  day  have  a 
capable  servant  in  you !  But  on  my  word,  Laval- 
lais " — Canardin  slapped  his  thigh — "  you  docile 
members  of  an  orderly  society  bring  me  to  the 
blush.  Fie  on  you,  Lavallais !  " 

Sheepishly,  perhaps  a  little  nervously,  and  still 


16         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

in  spite  of  himself,  Lavallais  joined  in  the  laugh- 
ter at  his  own  expense.  "  I  have  to  confess  that 
I — I  am  at  present  a  good  deal  distraught.  I 
could  see  no  other  way  out  of  it.  As  you  say,  it 
is  droll  in  the  extreme.  That  I  should  be  driven 

to  appeal  to  you Yet  you,  as  a  man " 

"  Finish  it !    As  a  man  of  resource.     Go  on." 

"  As  a  man  of  infinite  resource,"   Lavallais 

laughed,  "  and  acquainted  with  the  world,  might 

— for  the  sake  of  old  times " 

^  Offer  you  a  bit  of  advice.  I  know  of  no  one, 
my  dear  Lavallais,  to  whom  a  notary  might  bet- 
ter go  for  advice !  "  Canardin  chuckled,  and  now 
sat  up  alert  in  the  chair.  "  I  thank  you  for  the 
opportunity.  Because  I  have  a  favor  to  ask  in 
return,  and! " — again  the  chuckle — "  to  make  sure 
of  my  boon  before  you  do  away  with  yourself,  I'll 
ask  my  favor  first.  What  do  you  say,  Lavallais? 
Give  me  a  haven  here  for  the  night.  For  the 
sake  of  old  times.  The  phrase  is  your  own.  It 
will  amuse  us  both.  I  like  now  and  then  to  be 
on  terms  with  decent  society.  Besides,  I  confess 
I  am  weary.  It  is  not  that  I  am,  strictly  speak- 
ing, a  popular  fellow.  I  happen  only  to  be  a 
man  very  much  sought.  But  come,  now!  To- 
night we  suspend  everything.  What  do  you  say? 
I  do  not  rob  you  in  your  sleep,  and  you  forget 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         17 

you  are  a  candidate  for  procureur- general.  To- 
morrow you  take  up  the  chase  again.  I  must  ask 
you  to  forego  killing  yourself.  The  blame  would 
be  sure  to  fall  upon  me.  They  would  say, i  What ! 
He  spares  not  even  an  old  chum  at  college ! '  I 
cannot  allow  it.  To-night,  as  I  say — to-night " 
— and  Lavallais  looked  up  sharply  at  the  catch 
in  Canar din's  voice — "  to-night  we  are  old  college 
chums  again.  What  do  you  say?  " 


CHAPTER  H 

TO  this,  then,  had  come  the  lovable  boy  Brig- 
non  of  college  days!  Brignon  the  ready 
wit,  the  born  leader,  adored  by  none  so  much  as 
by  Lavallais  himself  in  those  days  at  Clermont! 
Brignon  the  prankish,  the  splendidly  daring 
youth, — now,  as  a  man,  feared  and  yet  secretly 
admired  by  half  of  France  for  his  feats  of  mag- 
nificent bravado.  For  an  instant  Lavallais 
sought  to  make  himself  believe  that  here  before 
him  sat  the  renowned  Canardin,  this  casual  vis- 
itor of  midnight  or  later,  this  figure  so  robustious 
and  good-humored,  his  philosophy  so  taking,  his 
mien  so  polished,  his  attire  so  elegant,  his  fame 
so  frightening.  Browned  like  a  peasant  by  life 
in  the  open,  he  carried  himself  like  a  prince.  One 
moment  devilish,  the  next  debonair.  His  wit 
was  the  despair  of  his  pursuers,  and  the  secret 
delight  of  the  country.  Often  his  hunters  them- 
selves had  perforce  laughed  at  his  humor  in  elud- 
ing their  best  laid  plans  for  his  taking !  For  a 
long,  long  moment  Lavallais  sat  and  studied 
him. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         19 

"  Good ! "  Canardin  caught  Mm  up  on  Ms 
silence.  "  You  agree,  my  dear  Lavallais.  It  is 
settled.  To-night  we  are  friends."  As  if  in  im- 
mense relief,  the  strange  man  sprawled  more  laz- 
ily in  his  chair,  rested  a  careless  arm  on  the  table, 
and  more  careless  still  his  hand  rested  calmly  on 
the  bag  of  money.  "  Now  begin  on  your  woes. 
But  I  warn  you  not  to  make  me  laugh  over  loud. 
There  are  plenty  of  ears  about.  So !  l  It  is  true 
that  she  loves  me.  Yet  do  what  I  will,  my  honest 
toil  brings  in  too  little  to  suit  the  stern  parent.' 
I  give  you  my  word,  Lavallais " — Canardin's 
head  was  lolling  to  and  fro  on  the  back  of  the 
chair,  in  utter  despair  of  the  world — "these 
stern  parents  discourage  me.  But  if  your  story 
is  to  be  very  long,  and  very  sad,  perhaps  we  had 
better  exchange  places.  In  my  present  state  I 
have  a  sudden  fancy  for  your  cot.  There  I  may 
possibly  stifle  my  sobs  with  a  sheet." 

They  solemnly  exchanged  places,  according  to 
Canardin's  direction. 

"  Now,"  he  sighed.     "  Have  at  it ! " 

Whatever  the  state  of  his  mind,  the  young  no- 
tary was  obliged  to  laugh  at  these  vagaries  of  his 
visitor.  "  You  guess  very  shrewdly,  Canardin," 
he  fetched  forth  at  length.  "  The  lady  does  love 
me.  We  were  about  to  be  married.  The  rest  of 


20         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

the  tale  is  brief  enough.  It  is  not  the  parent,  but 
an  uncle.  The  lady  is  an  orphan,  and  the  uncle 
is  her  guardian.  Six  days  ago  he  sent  me  back 
to  Paris  with  two  bags  of  gold  containing  a  thou- 
sand pistoles  each,  to  settle  a  debt  of  his  which 
was  due.  Naturally  I  was  honored  to  have  him 
place  in  my  hands  a  trust  of  such  importance  and 
was  eager  to  fulfill  it  punctually.  But  in  the 
coach  on  the  way  hither  from  Meaux  I  fell  in 
with  a  friend.  In  the  middle  of  the  day  we 
halted  at  an  inn  for  refreshment.  Perhaps  we 
grew  a  bit  giddy.  This  fellow — very  kindly,  I 
thought — offered  to  help  me  guard  such  a  sum  of 
money.  '  Canardin,  you  must  remember,  is  at 
large  in  these  parts,'  he  reminded  me." 

Lavallais  paused  for  a  moment's  laugh.  "  But 
while  we  were  at  table  the  fellow  excused  himself 
to  consult  a  lawyer  friend  who,  he  had  just  dis- 
covered, was  about  the  inn.  I  never  suspected 
that  under  his  cloak  he  carried  away  one  of  my 
bags  of  gold.  And  I  never  saw  him  again. 
When  I  had  waited  an  hour,  a  valet  brought  me 
a  note  from  him,  which  said  that  Fate  had  dashed 
all  his  hopes  of  making  a  fortune  for  himself  with 
my  kind  assistance.  Instead,  he  had  lost  all  the 
money  at  lasquenet,  and  was  on  the  way  to  the 
Seine  to  drown  himself." 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         21 

"  Well,"  Canardin  smiled  languidly.  "  That's 
reasonable.  Such  things  will  happen  in  life. 
Cannot  the  uncle  understand  that?  " 

Lavallais  made  a  wry  face.  "  He  takes  him- 
self to  be  reasonable  enough.  And  indeed  he  is. 
I  have  had  until  ten  o'clock  to-morrow  morning 
to  make  good  the  loss.  Otherwise  the  marriage 
is  broken  off.  Such  a  sum  I  cannot  of 
course " 

"  Hence  the  fond  note  of  farewell !  I  see." 
Canardin  drawled  it  out,  as  if  from  the  depths 
of  boredom,  hence  Lavallais's  eyes  missed  the 
swift  but  genuinely  tender  smile  bent  upon  him. 
Or  was  it  that  Canardin  was  truly  amused  at  a 
disaster  so  trifling?  "  I  tell  you,  Lavallais,"  he 
drawled  on  mockingly,  "  I  have  all  I  can  do  to 
forgive  that  uncle  of  yours.  What  asses  these 
uncles  are !  They  marry  their  nieces  to  clowns. 
The  clowns  go  through  the  money,  as  clowns  al- 
ways do ;  and  the  uncles  are  profoundly  gratified. 
So  long  as  the  money  is  lost  through  stupidity,  in 
the  regular  way,  all  is  well." 

Even  more  languidly  Canardin  rolled  to  his 
side,  so  that,  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye,  he 
might  enjoy  the  notary's  wilted  posture  as  he  sat 
by  the  table. 

"  I  rather  expected  a  little  more  excitement, 


22         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

you  know?  "  lie  laughed.  "  It's  my  settled  belief, 
Lavallais,  that  the  only  real  crime  in  the  world 
is  a  tame  story.  However,  for  the  sake  of  the 
dear  lady,  suppose  we  see  what  can  be  done. 
Here ! "  Of  a  sudden  Canardin  sat  up  on  the 
couch  and  removed  from  his  finger  a  ring  of  tar- 
nished gold  with  a  stone  of  green  jade.  "  Take 
this."  He  held  out  the  talisman  to  Lavallais, 
and  now  spoke  rapidly. 

"Listen,  if  you  please.  At  seven  o'clock  to- 
morrow morning  you  will  go  to  the  Kue  Beau- 
chaine.  You  know  where  it  is?  From  the  alley 
near  the  end  of  that  street,  count  nine  houses. 
At  the  tenth  house  you  will  climb  to  the  sixth 
floor  and  find  a  door  with  a  boar's  hoof  nailed  to 
the  panel.  An  old  woman  will  answer  your 
knock.  Show  her  the  ring  and  she  will  take  you 
to  the  rear  of  the  house.  There  you  will  meet  a 
humpbacked  old  man  with  a  long  gray  beard. 
Show  him  the  slip  of  paper  I  am  about  to  give 
you." 

Without  altogether  leaving  the  couch,  Can- 
ardin lurched  forward  to  the  table,  tore  off  a  cor- 
ner of  parchment,  laid  it  upon  his  knee,  and  be- 
gan scribbling  a  string  of  undecipherable  char- 
acters across  it. 

"  Let  us  call  that  gentleman,"  Canardin  smiled, 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         23 

"my  banker.  He  will  give  you  the  money  you 
need.  The  ring  you  will  present  with  my  com- 
pliments to  your  bride  on  her  wedding  day.  It 
is  not  to  be  worn,  or  shown,  except  in  emergency. 
If  it  is  shown,  my  dear  Lavallais,  you  might  be 
somewhat  embarrassed  by  the  attentions  of  my 
willing  followers.  Guard  that  ring  as  one 
guards  a  wife.  You  know,  Lavallais " — the 
drawl  returned,  as  Canardin  still  scribbled  on — 
"  I  rather  fancy  the  ladies, — from  a  distance. 
Their  little  whims  are  so  engaging.  On  that 
very  account,  however,  they  seem  not  to  fit  into 
my  scheme.  Now !  "  he  ended,  with  a  final  nour- 
ish to  the  paper.  "Any  more  sad  stories  in  your 
life,  my  dear  Lavallais?  " 

"  But,  Canardin,  the  money " 

"  Where  does  it  come  from,  you  mean?  "  Can- 
ardin yawned  once  more.  "From  other  stupid 
uncles.  Why  shouldn't  they  even  up  each  other's 
stupidity?  They  ought  to  thank  me  for  perform- 
ing in  their  name  an  act  of  kindness  no  one  of 
them  would  think  of  doing  for  himself.  And 
now  " — Canardin  sank  back  and  settled  himself 
into  a  more  comfortable  hollow  in  the  cot — "  let's 
get  back  to  old  times,  dear  Lavallais.  Tell  me 
something  of  our  old  Clermont  lads.  Chevaunne, 
where  is  he?  Cowardly  boy,  he  was,  I  remember, 


24         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

always  shivering  in  fear  of  a  licking.  What  has 
he  come  to?  " 

"  He's  in  the  foreign  service,  I  think." 

"  That's  because  he  must  have  borrowed  a  sou 
and  was  nervous  about  remaining  in  France. 
And  that  sneaking,  crafty  boy,  with  the  fiery  hair 
— we  always  called  him  the  strawberry  plant, 
you  recall — what  ever  became  of  him?  " 

"  Trevours,  you  mean?  I  believe  he  has  an  im- 
portant post  at  court." 

"  Yes,  Trevours.  That's  the  name.  Serves  him 
right!  I  always  knew  he  would  come  to  some 
bad  end.  And  what  is  his  position  at  court?  " 

"  He  is  Governor  of  Paris  now." 

Canardin  lifted  his  head,  for  a  moment,  in  in- 
terest. "  Indeed !  I  must  see  that  Trevours  has 
something  to  do. — Hist !  " 

Lavallais  never  really  was  certain  that  he  had 
seen  Canardin  move,  so  swiftly,  so  noiselessly 
was  it  done.  He  simply  sat  open-mouthed  and 
became  aware  of  the  fact  that  in  a  single  second 
Canardin  had  ceased  to  be  a  lolling  sluggard  on 
the  cot,  and  was  instantaneously  a  tense  figure 
with  a  pistol  in  each  hand,  quick  with  excite- 
ment, and  watching  the  door,  yet  careful  always 
to  keep  behind  the  candle.  For  a  space  there 
was  silence  in  the  room.  Then  Canardin  began 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         25 

issuing  orders,  but  in  a  voice  scarcely  above  a 
whisper. 

"  You  hear  them?  The  hounds ! — They  suspect 
your  light.  In  a  moment  they  will  investigate. 
I  thought  I  heard  a  creak  on  the  lower  stair. — Go 
to  the  window,  Lavallais.  No,  don't  rush.  Saun- 
ter there.  Look  up  at  the  stars.  No,  no,  man! 
Let  the  candle  burn.  If  you  douse  it,  they  will 
be  certain! — Do  as  I  say.  Seem  unconcerned. 
My  life  depends  upon  it,  Lavallais.  And  your 
own  good  name. — Now !  Open  the  window  as  if 
for  a  breath  of  air.  One  moment!  Wait!  I 
have  just  thought.  If  you  do  it  badly,  Lavallais, 
remember  this;  I  am  here  by  no  invitation  of 
yours.  You  are  not  to  blame;  you  are  not  com- 
promised. Explain  that  to  them.  Now,  then! 
Up  with  the  window.  If  they  challenge  you,  an- 
swer. And  as  you  love  life,  Lavallais,  keep  your 
voice  steady !  Now !  " 

In  a  tremble,  less  from  fear  than  from  a  thrill 
of  welcome  excitement  in  his  studious  life,  Laval- 
lais did  as  he  was  bidden.  Stationing  himself  at 
the  window,  he  lazily  raised  his  arms  to  stretch 
them,  carefully  examined  the  stars  for  a  moment, 
and  then  opened  the  sash  as  if  for  air.  In  the 
street  below  he  could  mark  the  dim  forms  of 
thirty  men  or  more  in  the  shadows  of  the  houses, 


26         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

although  he  affected  not  to  see  them.  Instead 
he  appeared  to  become  lost  in  rapt  contemplation 
of  the  dissipated  half  of  an  old  moon  then  begin- 
ning to  peer  above  the  roof  lines.  A  minute  he 
stood  so,  when  a  voice,  in  a  silvery  falsetto, 
floated  up  from  below. 

"What  ho,  pale  poet!  Art  keeping  a  tryst 
with  the  Lady  Luna?  The  old  jade  keeps  you  to 
ungodly  hours  in  her  amours,  it  would  seem." 

"Ah ! "  Lavallais  looked  down  as  if  in  the 
greatest  surprise.  "  Good  morrow,  my  dear 
Marshal  of  France ! "  he  called,  in  admirable 
good  humor. 

A  peal  of  soft  laughter  rose  from  the  street. 
"  Thanks  for  the  well-merited  promotion,  my 
sovereign.  How  goes  the  rondeau?  Shall  I  toss 
you  up  a  couplet?  " 

"A  biscuit  would  be  better,"  said  Lavallais 
fervently. 

"  Bravo ! "  Canardin  was  approving  behind 
him,  his  voice  safely  covered  in  the  laughter  from 
the  street  at  Lavallais's  happy  sally. 

"  How  goes  the  empire,  Protector  of  France?  " 
the  young  notary  was  adding.  "  That's  a  brave 
band  you  have  there.  What's  the  alarm?  " 

"Need  a  few  more  lackeys  at  your  table,  do 
you,  my  monarch?  Sorry  I  have  none  to  spare." 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         27 

"  But  what  an  army  you  muster — for  a  peace- 
ful night!" 

"  It  is  France,  Monsieur,  on  guard  over  your 
roundelays ! " 

"And  to-morrow  you'll  charge  me  the  devil  of 
a  price  for  your  guard,  in  taxes !  " 

Windows  in  all  the  houses  round  about  now 
were  opened,  and  sleepy  heads  in  pointed  night- 
caps were  thrust  out  in  query.  "  Taxes?  "  a 
thick  voice  called  from  one  of  them.  "  Do  they 
now  collect  taxes  at  this  hour  of  the  night?  To 
what  is  France  coming !  " 

Leaning  far  out  of  the  window,  as  he  was  at 
this  juncture,  Lavallais  missed  Canardin's  quick 
start  behind  him,  as  a  new  voice  now  spoke  from 
the  guard  in  the  street, — a  voice  rasping  and 
deep,  and  very  evidently  accustomed  to  the  ac- 
cent of  command. 

"  You  all  tax  my  patience !  "  it  said.  "  Go 
back  to  your  beds,  good  people.  Your  taxes  are 
well  spent.  Be  glad  you  have  us  to  protect  your 
sleep,  your  purses,  your  very  lives !  " 

"Alackaday ! "  from  somewhere  a  girl  cried 
out.  "  Has  something  happened?  " 

"Happened?  Oh,  no!"  the  captain  of  the 
guard  retorted.  "Nothing  has  happened!  Noth- 
ing but  Canardin.  He  passed  this  way  to-night." 


28         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  Canardin! "  The  dread  name  was  chorused 
in  awed  tones  from  a  score  of  windows.  "  Can- 
ardin, did  he  say? "  And  down  crashed  all 
the  sashes  in  unison,  Lavallais's  along  with  them, 
since  he  saw  it  to  be  a  good  opportunity  to  with- 
draw. 

"  Well  done,  my  good  friend !  "  Canardin  pro- 
nounced, when  he  could  cease  from  chuck- 
ling. 

"  You  approve,  Canardin?  " 

"  Approve?  Lavallais,  it  was  masterly !  Now, 
out  with  the  light."  And  as  Lavallais  did  so, 
Canardin  laid  his  pistols  on  the  table,  stretched 
his  arms,  let  forth  a  hearty  yawn,  and  made  his 
way  in  the  rising  moonlight  to  the  cot  again. 
"  What  was  it  we  were  saying,  my  dear  Laval- 
lais? "  came  the  now  familiar  drawl.  "Ah,  yes. 
School  days.  Sit  down  and  tell  me.  Chevaunne, 
you  say,  went  into  the  foreign  service." 

"  But  is  it  all  over  down  there  below,  do  you 
think?  " 

"  Oh,  they're  all  off  to  bed  at  home,  precious 
glad  I  saved  them  a  bit  of  real  trouble  to-night. 
To-morrow  they'll  be  bragging  to  their  wives  of 
how  narrowly  they  missed  me.  That  boy,  Jean 
de  Braille,  at  Clermont.  You  remember  him, 
Lavallais?  " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         29 

"  I  believe  he  is  in  the  Ministry  of  State.  And 
rising  there.  He  left  us  all  far  behind." 

"  In  the  Ministry  of  State?  Ah."  Canardin 
thought  a  moment,  then  smiled  strangely.  "I 
always  liked  that  Jean.  Bare  lad  he  was.  Twice 
I  filched  his  jam  tarts;  he  knew  it,  and  never 
once  did  he  tell.  But  that  insolent  pup — surely 
you  recall  him,  Lavallais? — then  the  Baron,  but 
now,  I  believe,  the  Due  de  Morbihan."  At  this 
recollection  Canardin  tossed  back  his  head,  held 
his  sides,  and  passed  a  full  minute  in  one  of  his 
bursts  of  low  laughter.  "  Do  you  know  what  has 
become  of  him?  " 

"  He's  living  on  his  various  estates,  I  suppose." 

"  And  bored  to  death  on  all  of  them?  Not  he, 
my  dear  Lavallais.  Let  me  tell  you  something 
droll.  That  quick  deep  voice  from  the  captain 
of  the  guard  down  below — you  remember  it? 
That,  my  dear  Lavallais — will  you  believe  it? — 
was  his  excellency,  the  Due  de  Morbihan !  " 

"You  don't " 

"  I  do  mean  precisely  what  I  say.  He  does  me 
the  honor  of  his  pursuit.  He,  the  Due  de  Morbi- 
han now  ardently  courts  my  society!  Under 
pretense  of  public  spirit  in  the  service  of  France, 
he  is  privately  working  off  a  personal  grudge. 
Not  that  he  wouldn't  kill  me  for  his  own  sake,  if 


30         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

I  should  let  him ;  but  it  is  so  much  less  vulgar  to 
do  so  as  an  officer  of  France,  you  see." 

"  But  what  grudge  can  the  Due  de  Morbi- 
han " 

"  Have  against  me?  Oh,  more  than  one.  On 
a  night  last  week,  for  example,  I  happened  to  be 
in  bad  humor  and  burned  down  one  of  his  cha- 
teaux. That  is  to  say,  I  relieved  him  of  a  need- 
less expense.  It  is  only  one  of  many  little  kind- 
nesses I  have  paid  him  since  those  days  at  col- 
lege. Do  you  know,  Lavallais,  it  sometimes  oc- 
curs to  me,  Clermont  must  have  been  organized 
purposely  to  teach  the  youth  of  France  how  to 
capture  Canardin." 

Lazily  Lavallais's  visitor  removed  his  waist- 
coat. A  ray  of  moonlight  laid  a  still  whiter 
stripe  across  his  silken  white  shirt.  But  here  he 
paused  in  his  evident  preparations  for  a  quiet 
night,  and  his  dark  eyes  blazed. 

"  Lavallais,  do  you  recall  the  incident  at  Cler- 
mont when  I  stole  the  honey  pots  belonging  to 
the  principal  himself?  You  remember,  then, 
when  I  was  caught,  all  the  boys  were  privileged 
to  give  me  a  beating  in  turn.  Little  I  cared !  I 
had  had  the  honey.  But  De  Morbihan!  That 
was  a  brutal  lacing  he  gave  me.  I  remember  his 
insolence.  Well  he  might  lay  it  on.  The  privi- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         31 

lege  was  his,  and  I  was  obliged  to  take  whatever 
he  gave.  At  that,  it  wasn't  his  blows  that  hurt 
me ;  it  was  that  manner  of  his.  As  if  he  had  an 
immemorial  right  to  be  lashing  such  fellows  as  I. 
That  manner  of  his,  my  dear  Lavallais,  sent  me 
down  what  is  called  a  career  of  crime.  Till  then 
I  had  stolen  for  amusement.  From  that  moment 
I  took  a  lash  of  my  own  in  hand.  By  the  way  " 
— Canardin  broke  off  abruptly — "  here's  a  pile  of 
my  clothing."  He  tossed  out  the  various  articles 
of  his  discarded  attire.  "  Spread  them  out  on 
the  floor,  and  lie  on  them,  and  be  comfortable. 
They'll  make  a  capital  bed." 

Coolly  Canardin  adjusted  the  coverlet  about 
himself  on  the  cot,  meanwhile. 

"After  all,  Lavallais,  I'm  rather  clever  in  my 
way.  I  might  have  had  a  career  in  your  precious 
society.  If  it  had  let  me!  But  it  was  hunger, 
Lavallais,  that  broke  me.  Always  I  seem  to  re- 
member that  hunger.  My  parents  were  rich 
enough,  but  they  were  bourgeois,  and  had  no  ap- 
preciation of  genius.  Their  notion  of  sending  a 
boy  down  the  right  path  was  to  see  him  well 
starved.  I  took  the  direction  they  indicated! 
They  have  made  me  a  man  of  wealth.  As  a  young 
man  should,  I  have  learned  something  from  the 
precepts  of  my  parents.  Even  so " 


32         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Canardin  let  forth  another  prodigious  yawn. 

"  Even  so  I  might,  as  you  say,  have  done  well 
in  the  world.  But  the  hunger  of  boyhood  is 
nothing  to  the  hunger  of  manhood.  That  is  a 
hunger  not  of  the  stomach  but  of  the  head, — a 
hunger  for  opportunity,  for  a  place  in  the  world. 
Well,  after  all,  that  has  not  been  denied  me,  you 
observe." 

Lavallais  sat  listening  in  his  chair,  dumb  un- 
der the  spell  of  this  strange  philosopher,  this 
explosive  personality. 

"  The  world,"  he  heard  the  smooth,  deep  voice 
coming  out  of  the  shadows,  "  has  treated  me  pre- 
cisely like  my  fond  parents.  I  was  a  bourgeois, 
and  it  proceeded  to  starve  me.  I  had  brains;  I 
had  ambition.  That  is  the  combination  that 
runs  the  world.  Yet  look  how  we  treat  it !  If  a 
man  is  crafty  and  sour,  he  becomes  a  Eichelieu. 
If  he  has  a  sense  of  humor,  he  becomes  an  honest 
brigand  like  me.  Pah!  I  merely  take  what  is 
just  from  brigands  less  honest  than  I.  I  merely 
toss  aside  the  dry  rules  of  your  society,  which 
always  go  wrong,  and  administer  a  plain  justice 
of  my  own.  It  is  true  that  when  some  stubborn 
individual  has  raised  objections,  I  have  been 
obliged  to  reduce  him  to  silence.  But  I,  my  good 
Lavallais,  I  am  myself  a  society.  You  agree?  " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         33 

Canardin  glanced  down  at  the  quiet  figure  now 
huddled  on  the  floor  beside  him. 

"  The  fool  is  asleep !  "  he  laughed  lightly  and 
rolled  over.  "  How  I  have  raved !  " 

When  Lavallais  awoke,  he  was  astonished  to 
find  himself  still  prone  on  the  hard  floor,  but 
alone.  His  guest  was  gone.  So  also  was  gone 
all  the  clothing  to  Lavallais's  name.  Nothing 
remained  to  him  except  the  rumpled  finery  which 
had  formed  his  very  indifferent  bed,  belonging  to 
the  most  celebrated  robber  in  France.  Yet  on 
the  bag  of  gold,  which  he  found  untouched,  lay  a 
note  that  ran : 

I  am  sure,  my  dear  Lavallais,  you  will  pardon 
my  theft  of  your  coat  and  breeches.  It  must 
please  you  to  think  of  me  in  the  guise  of  an  hon- 
est man  at  last.  Besides,  it  was  the  one  way  left 
me  to  get  out  of  the  street. 

On  my  part  it  pleases  me  to  think  of  you  in 
possession  of  my  clothing.  You  will  find  it  a 
valuable  clue  as  you  resume  the  chase.  You 
have  only  to  carry  it  to  the  nearest  guard  house 
to  become  the  talk  of  all  France.  I  leave  you  to 
fashion  the  story  of  how  you  got  it. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Lavallais.  May  we  meet 
again,  under  circumstances  as  happy. 

Your  devoted 

CANABDIN. 

On  that  morning  the  wit  of  Monsieur  Laval- 
lais, the  rising  young  notary,  was  sorely  taxed 


34         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

for  an  answer  to  one  or  more  extremely  vexing 
questions.  Should  he  carefully  blow  out  his 
brains,  as  he  had  planned  to  do  on  the  previous 
evening?  Or  should  he  consent  to  live  on,  pay 
the  unreasonable  uncle,  attain  fame,  and  marry 
the  lady  of  his  choice,  on  stolen  money  received 
from  the  foremost  thief  of  France?  For  some 
time  young  Monsieur  Lavallais,  twirling  his  in- 
cipient mustachios,  paced  to  and  fro  in  the 
narrow  confines  of  his  garret,  wrestling  with 
these  trying  problems.  In  the  end  the  lover  in 
Monsieur  Lavallais  came  to  a  decision,  leaving 
the  notary  in  Monsieur  Lavallais  to  excuse  such 
conduct  as  he  could.  Monsieur  Lavallais  the 
lover  decided  to  live. 

It  was  no  great  trick  to  him  to  contrive  some 
means  of  leaving  his  lodging,  although  he  was 
obliged  to  laugh  heartily  at  the  prank  played 
upon  him  as  he  turned  inside  out  the  garments 
left  by  Canardin.  The  resulting  garb  was  a  mot- 
ley of  blue  silk  and  pink  satin  linings,  but  these 
his  ingenuity  easily  concealed  under  a  cloak 
somewhat  in  the  Spanish  style,  fashioned  from 
an  old  gray  blanket. 

Thus  was  his  body  clothed;  but  what  about  a 
cloak  for  his  morals?  Here  too  ingenuity  was 
not  long  wanting.  That  powerful  logic  which  is 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         35 

habitual  to  a  notary's  mind  quickly  came  to  his 
aid. 

This  note  of  exchange  which  Canardin  had  left 
him, — this  too  might  be  part  of  the  hoax,  it  is 
true.  At  the  same  time  it  occurred  to  Monsieur 
Lavallais,  the  future  public  prosecutor,  that  he 
might  as  well  test  its  value.  Moreover,  on  pre- 
senting it  at  the  address  given,  he  might  obtain 
the  most  valuable  evidence  in  pursuit  of  his  cele- 
brated quarry !  And  in  obtaining  such  evidence 
against  the  master  thief,  would  he  not  be  per- 
forming a  great  disinterested  service  to  his  king 
and  his  country? 

Accordingly  Monsieur  Lavallais,  young  notary 
and  future  prosecutor,  set  out  for  the  Rue  Beau- 
chaine — and  found  it — in  a  neighborhood  where 
the  strange  character  of  his  attire  was  little 
likely  to  attract  unfavorable  attention.  The  few 
persons  in  the  street  were  even  more  outlandishly 
garbed  than  he.  The  tenth  house  beyond  the 
alley  was  truly  there,  and  at  the  back  of  the  sixth 
floor  was  the  door  with  the  boar's  foot  nailed  to 
the  panel.  Precisely  as  Canardin  had  promised, 
the  old  woman  admitted  him ;  and,  in  a  word,  he 
came  away  with  a  bag  of  gold, — let  it  be  under- 
stood, as  evidence  against  Canardin  solely. 

Having  returned  to  his  garret  study  with  this 


36         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

prize,  Monsieur  Lavallais,  the  notary,  proceeded 
to  weigh  the  evidence.  He  first  counted  the 
evidence.  The  thousand  pistoles  were  all 
there. 

Monsieur  Lavallais  then  began  to  consider  his 
own  situation.  Here  was  a  rising  young  notary, 
who  had  before  him,  as  public  prosecutor,  a  bril- 
liant future, — this  on  the  word  of  possibly  the 
highest  authority  in  France.  This  young  notary 
had  a  sacred  duty  to  perform.  Had  he  not  been 
commissioned  by  an  uncle  to  discharge  a  solemn 
obligation?  That  obligation  sternly  called  for 
satisfaction.  Before  Monsieur  Lavallais,  lying 
there  on  his  table,  was  the  means  of  satisfying 
that  obligation.  Much  else  would  it  satisfy,  in- 
deed. There  was  an  uncle's  reputation,  which  it 
would  sustain.  There  was  a  creditor's  just  dues, 
which  it  would  meet.  Was  there  not,  truly,  a 
certain  purification  of  money,  whatever  its 
source,  in  putting  it  to  such  honorable  uses? 

If,  after  all  this,  Monsieur  Lavallais  still  had 
doubts  on  the  subject,  he  had  only  to  look  ahead. 
Suppose  he  used  the  money  and  paid  the  debt. 
A  needy  creditor  would  be  happy  in  the  receipt  of 
his  money  at  last.  An  uncle's  reputation  would 
be  secure.  Monsieur  Lavallais's  own  personal 
probity  would  be  vindicated.  And  all  this  being 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         37 

so,  the  way  was  unexpectedly  clear  to — to  a  re- 
turn to  the  favor  of  Cecile. 

Cecile!  Ah,  yes!  There  you  have  the  most 
potent  logic  of  all.  Monsieur  Lavallais  turned  it 
over  in  his  mind.  Could  the  happiness  of  C6cile 
be  forgotten?  Did  it  not  outweigh  every  other 
consideration?  What  silly  demand  of  ethics 
could  rise  superior  to  the  claims  of  a  woman! 
Monsieur  Lavallais  the  notary,  as  well  as  Mon- 
sieur Lavallais  the  lover  decided  to  make  use  of 
the  money. 

With  six  pistoles  from  the  bag  he  had  just  re- 
ceived, he  risked  the  ridicule  of  the  streets  to 
visit  a  near-by  tailor,  with  a  fantastic  story  of 
having  been  robbed  of  all  his  clothing.  A  tailor, 
however,  asks  few  questions  of  a  customer  with 
six  golden  pistoles  in  his  hand.  Moreover,  this 
too  seemed  to  Monsieur  Lavallais  only  part  of  the 
logic  of  his  case.  Who  but  Canardin  should  be 
the  one  to  replace  his  stolen  garments? 

In  his  new  finery,  Monsieur  Lavallais  next 
hired  a  coach  and  set  out  with  the  two  bags  of 
pistoles  to  satisfy  his  uncle's  debt.  A  creditor 
receiving  the  payment  of  money  is  apt  to  be  in  a 
cheerful  frame  of  mind.  When  the  man  who 
comes  to  pay  a  debt  arrives  in  a  coach,  with  every 
evidence  of  rank  and  importance,  your  creditor  is 


38         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

not  in  a  mood  to  quibble  over  discounts.  As  a 
result  of  his  happy  visit  to  his  uncle's  creditor, 
Monsieur  Lavallais  came  away  the  logical  pos- 
sessor of  a  receipt  in  full  to  return  to  the  uncle, 
and  his  pockets  jingling  with  the  proceeds  of  a 
discount  of  ten  pistoles  and  as  logical  a  commis- 
sion of  ten  pistoles  besides.  Deducting  the  six 
pistoles  of  the  discount  which  he  had  spent  in 
advance,  quite  as  logically,  this  left  him  a  bal- 
ance of  fourteen  pieces  of  money  to  support  his 
dignity  until  he  should  earn  some  more. 

The  next  step,  as  Monsieur  Lavallais  reasoned, 
was  to  rush  off  to  Meaux  and  present  himself  and 
his  happy  account  to  C6cile.  This  he  forthwith 
did,  yet  not  without  misgivings. 


CHAPTER 

AS  the  good  folk  in  the  little  street  where 
Lavallais  had  found  his  garret  were  now 
accustomed  to  the  early  beginning  of  his  days, 
Canardin  fetched  no  more  than  the  usual  number 
of  curious  faces  to  the  windows  when  he  himself 
sallied  forth,  at  an  unripe  hour  that  same  morn- 
ing, from  Lavallais's  doorway.  Without  recourse 
to  notarial  logic,  Canardin  well  knew,  from  long 
experience,  as  from  the  instinct  of  his  kind,  that 
for  security  and  retirement  no  place  would  better 
suit  him  than  the  more  crowded  thoroughfares  of 
Paris.  He  therefore  bent  his  steps  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Seine  and  its  quays.  And  inasmuch 
as  an  amiable  little  scheme,  one  not  without  its 
amusing  features,  had  suddenly  fashioned  itself 
in  his  head,  he  hummed  a  little  tune  as  he  strode 
along. 

Not  even  by  design  itself  could  Lavallais's  garb 
have  better  fitted  in  with  the  scene  of  Canardin's 
choice.  It  is  true  that  across  Canardin's  ample 
shoulders  the  notary's  well-worn  coat  sat  some- 
what close,  and  the  even  closer  fit  of  the  breeches 


40         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

lent  an  element  of  hazard  to  the  habitual  length 
of  his  stride.  Yet  here  again  accident  served 
even  better  than  purpose.  Canardin  but  looked 
more  truly  the  notary  in  looking  the  more  indif- 
ferently clothed.  And  by  means  of  a  slight 
stoop  he  learned  he  could  both  ease  the  pinch  and 
heighten  the  semblance. 

In  one  particular  only  did  Canardin  depart  at 
length  from  the  fidelity  of  his  impersonation. 
After  a  time,  finding  the  dozen  or  more  coppers 
in  Lavaillais's  pockets  somewhat  fewer  than  he 
was  accustomed  to  by  habit  and  taste,  he  first 
paid  a  visit  of  his  own  to  the  Hue  Beauchaine 
and  to  the  door  with  the  boar's  hoof  nailed  to 
the  panel.  It  only  remains  to  say  that  the 
plentiful  supply  of  money  he  carried  away 
pleased  him  less  than  the  fright  he  left  behind 
with  his  "banker."  That  humped  old  rascal, 
used  as  he  was  to  Canardin's  caprices,  was  like 
to  die  of  a  fit  at  sight  of  a  caller  at  that  hour  in 
the  garb  of  a  man  of  the  law.  And  it  need 
scarcely  be  added  that  Canardin,  a  capital  come- 
dian whenever  he  pleased,  made  the  most  of  his 
moment. 

"  Well,  well,  old  watchdog,"  he  laughed,  when 
he  had  disclosed  himself  at  last,  "old  human  ques- 
tion-mark !  The  lone  man  in  the  world  that  I'd 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         41 

scruple  to  knock  down!  A  sound  man  in  your 
shoes  would  have  died  long  ago  from  my  thumps 
of  approval  on  his  back.  But  let's  come  at  once 
to  your  one  concern  in  life.  How  stands  the 
level  in  the  coffers  this  morning?  " 

"  Melting  away  like  butter !  Well  enough  you 
ought  to  know,  my  chief.  These  widows  and  or- 
phans will  be  the  ruin  of  you.  How  often  have 
I  been  obliged  to  warn  you  of  that  weakness !  " 

"Yes,  yes,  old  Bonbouche.  But  you  forget. 
A  pillar  of  society  like  myself  has  his  responsi- 
bilities. This  morning,  perhaps  a  little  earlier, 
did  a ?" 

"  He  did !    He  came  and  he  went.    Early. 
Not  an  hour  ago.    And  with  him  went  a  thou- 
sand pistoles,  no  less.     But  for  the  paper  he  bore, 
in  your  own  code " 

"Quite  so.  But  tell  me.  How  did  he  look 
and  bear  himself?  Clothed  in  the  pink  of  fash- 
ion, I'll  warrant?  And  calm  as  a  corpse,  no 
doubt? " 

For  some  minutes  Canardin  rocked  with  mer- 
riment over  the  description  of  Lavallais  he  re- 
ceived, and  refused  to  be  sobered  even  as  the  old 
man  closed  with  the  stern  demand  of  his  habit, 
"And  now,  what  luck  last  night?  " 

"  Oh,    magnificent !     I    must    tell    you."     As 


42         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Canardin's  pockets  expanded,  his  spirits  were 
apt  to  expand  equally,  and  he  now  sat  down  on  a 
chest  under  the  cobwebbed  rafters  of  the  garret. 
"  No  vast  luck  with  the  old  potter  Joumette,  if 
that's  what  you  mean.  A  mere  thousand  livres 
— which,  by  the  by,  I  was  obliged  to  leave  on  de- 
posit along  the  way.  I  chanced  to  be  in  a  hurry, 
and  they  were  an  encumbrance.  Besides,  that 

same  young  woman However "  Can- 

ardin  paused.  "  But,  my  good  Bonbouche,  I  am 
persuaded  you  are  right.  The  walls  of  that  beg- 
gar Joumette's  house  are  lined  with  silver.  Not 
so,  however,  the  cloud  over  the  good  man's  head ! 
Will  you  believe  me,  for  two  solid  hours  I  waited 
in  the  shadows  beside  his  bed.  And  for  two 
solid  hours  his  wife  kept  Joumette  and  me  endur- 
ing her  reproaches.  At  last  I  could  bear  it  no 
longer. 

" '  Canardin,'  said  I,  '  it  is  your  lot  to  be  able 
to  leave.  Joumette  is  not  so  fortunate/  That 
woman,  Bonbouche,  was  on  the  point  of  robbing 
me  of  a  thousand  livres  and  my  good  opinion  of 
her  sex.  When,  suddenly,  she  began  to  spout 
priceless  wisdom.  They  call  me  a  clever  fellow, 
Bonbouche.  It  is  only  that  I  have  sharp  ears. 

"  'A  mere  thousand  livres  you  take  in  to-day ! ' 
the  old  harpy  howls.  '  The  merest  instalment  on 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         43 

Monsieur  de  Braille's  account!  And  where  do 
you  leave  it?  Safe  in  the  cupboard  below! 
Where  any  cub  apprentice  of  Monsieur  Canardin 
is  like  to  find  it!7 

"  Instantly,  Bonbouche,  I  have  an  interest  in 
that  cupboard.  It  will  do  to  wait,  however. 
Madame  has  more  to  say.  Much  more.  In  an- 
other moment  Madame  Joumette  has  recalled  my 
wandering  respect  for  the  institution  of  matri- 
mony. 

"  '  A  thousand  livres,  forsooth ! '  Madame  goes 
on,  in  the  most  prodigal  good  sense.  '  Over  a 
thousand  livres  you  rub  your  hands,  as  if  it  were 
the  last  full  reward  of  my  life's  devotion  to  you ! ' 
Whereas,  Bonbouche,  such  devotion,  you  will  ad- 
mit, is  priceless.  *  It  is  but  the  month's  allow- 
ance that  Guillemont  the  perfumer  allots  his 
wife.  But  yesterday  she  showed  it  me  in  a 
drawer  of  her  console.  As  for  Madame  Tour- 
maine  and  the  jewels  that  litter  her  escritoire, 
not  to  speak  of  the  pecks  she  wears  by  day  and 
slips  beneath  her  pillow  as  if  they  were  nothing, 
they  keep  me  beggared  in  merely  confessing  my 
sins  of  envy !  So  much  for  what  other  husbands 
do  for  their  wives ! ' 

"  I  leave  it  to  you,  Bonbouche,  if  it  were  not 
my  solemn  duty  to  relieve  Madame  of  so  many 


44         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

temptations  to  sin,  along  with  the  thousand 
livres.  Joumette,  I  resolved,  should  enjoy  his 
wife's  devotion  without  the  cost  of  a  sou." 

After  they  had  laughed  enough  over  this,  the 
crooked  old  fellow  again  reverted  to  his  passion. 
"  But  to-morrow,  early,"  he  wheedled,  "  like  a 
good  fellow,  you  will  go  and  pick  up  the  thousand 
livres  from  their  hiding  place." 

"  To-morrow,"  said  Canardin,  "  I  shall  do  no 
such  thing.  I  have,  instead,  to-day,  a  little  er 
rand  beside  which  those  thousand  livres  are  as 
nothing.  Joumette  and  his  thousand  livres,  for- 
sooth; Madame  Tourmaine  and  her  trinkets! 
Useful,  Bonbouche,  and  yet  how  petty.  Now  " 
— Canardin's  arms  yearned  out  as  if  for  employ- 
ment— "  for  a  moonlit  road  in  the  wilds ;  a  fat 
merchant  back  from  Havre  and  England  with 
half  a  million  about  him ;  half  an  army  to  guard 
his  coach ;  lusty  guardsmen,  too ;  half  a  dozen  of 
my  own,  and  I,  to  have  a  parley  with  Monsieur 
the  merchant ;  we  encounter  objection,  we  have  a 
difference,  a  discussion,  a  dispute,  a  mele'e ;  crack 
of  pistols,  cracking  of  heads ;  one  last  rush — and 
we're  away !  That,  Bonbouche,  is  taking  proper 
care  of  your  widows  and  orphans !  To  make  up 
for  that,  Paris  must  amuse  me.  Do  you  know, 
my  friend," — Canardin  gave  a  twirl  to  his 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         45 

mustachios,  a  twist  to  his  shoulders — "  I've  ac- 
quired a  sudden  taste  for  polite  society." 

"  At  last !  "  Bonbouche  sighed.  "  I've  been  ex- 
pecting it !  Woman ! " 

"  I  wish  it  were,"  said  Canardin  cheerfully. 
"  Instead  it's  merely  a  long  deferred  call.  'Tis  a 
scandal  I've  not  sought  him  out  since  college 
days,  that  splendid  fellow,  Jean  de  Braille !  Es- 
pecially considering  what  he  can  do  for  me !  " 

"De  Braille?  Secretary  to  the  King's  Coun- 
cillor, Admiral ?  " 

"  Even  he." 

Instantly  the  bent  old  man  was  on  his  knees 
before  Canardin.  "  Master,  I  beg  of  you !  Take 
no  such  risk !  It  is  madness !  I  shall  never  see 
you  again ! " 

"  Xor  any  more  money?  Isn't  that  your  fear, 
putting  it  honestly?  " 

"But  such  pranks  will  be  the  death  of  you! 
Be  reasonable!  There  are  feats  that  even  Can- 
ardin may  not  bring  off!  Stick  to  the  widows 
and  orphans,  cost  us  what  it  may ! " 

"  Peace,  man !  "  said  Canardin  patiently.  "  I 
hadn't  completed  the  tale  of  the  adventure  of 
last  night.  After  I  had  finished  with  Monsieur 
Joumette,  his  good  wife  must  have  heard  some- 
thing. I  take  it  she  sleeps  with  one  ear  open. 


46         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

At  any  rate  the  alarm  was  raised,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  hasten.  The  soldiers  were  too  many 
for  my  taste,  and  once  again  I  had  to  keep  com- 
pany with  the  cats.  That's  to  say,  on  the  roofs. 
The  truth  is  " — Canardin  snapped  his  fingers, 
with  less  patience  again — "  there's  a  new  wit 
after  me.  A  woman.  I  can't  quite  make  her 
out.  She  confounds  my  calculations.  Will  you 
believe  it,  I  found  in  the  very  pocket  of  my  coat 
the  other  morning,  a  slip  of  paper  in  her  hand. 
One  word — '  Beware ! '  I  believe  it  is  she  who 
lends  them  all  the  brains  they've  got.  It's  clear 
that  I've  come  afoul  of  some  one.  But  who, 
who ! "  For  a  space  Canardin  paced  the  floor 
thoughtfully.  "  But  as  to  what  followed,  last 

night,  old  wolf "    He  tapped  the  crooked  old 

back,  and  it  was  some  time  before  he  had  recov- 
ered composure  to  relate  the  remainder  of  the 
night's  events. 

Since,  however,  we  know  already  what  he  was 
about  to  relate,  and  shall  soon  hear  more  of  the 
new  drollery  in  his  mind,  it  will  do  to  follow 
Canardin  at  once  that  morning,  first  of  all  to  a 
bookseller's  stall  beside  the  Seine,  for  the  pur- 
chase of  a  musty  tome  to  nestle  appropriately 
under  his  arm  and  so  signify  his  new  calling  as  a 
notary. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         47 

Brief  as  it  was,  this  transaction  provided  Can- 
ardin  with  a  moment  of  interest.  "  Did  I  hear 
you  mention  Canardin?  "  he  whisked  about  to 
demand  of  a  group  of  passers-by  on  the  quay,  for 
his  sharp  ear  had  caught  the  syllables  of  his 
name  on  their  laughing  lips. 

"  What,  friend  notary ! "  one  of  them  answered. 
"  But  no,  you  gentry  of  the  law  would  be  the  last 
to  hear ! " 

"  Canardin,  yes ! "  another  was  eager  to  say. 
"  He  popped  among  us  again  last  night.  Five 
hundred  soldiery,  and  Trevours  himself  raging 
like  a  madman  at  his  heels !  And  like  that !  " — 
a  snap  of  the  finger — "  he  vanished  from  under 
their  very  noses !  " 

"  What  a  Frenchman  is  that ! "  still  another 
carried  on  the  comment  as  they  left  this  sour 
notary  to  his  business.  "  I  vote  him  a  stipend 
from  the  King's  treasury!  He  never  fails  to 
pluck  the  old  skinflints  we'd  all  strip  if  we  dared. 
And  he  keeps  us  amused,  to  boot ! " 

Whereupon  Canardin  smiled,  chiefly  at  their 
tribute  to  his  false  impersonation.  Nevertheless, 
further  to  improve  that,  he  next  repaired  to  a 
barber,  where  for  above  an  hour  he  played  the 
notary  to  the  life.  When  at  last  Canardin  is- 
sued, satisfied  with  his  appearance,  after  a  shave 


48         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

and  many  other  more  astonishing  operations  of 
the  toilet,  his  naturally  abundant  hair  was  po- 
maded flat  to  his  head  and  tied  in  a  niggardly  tail 
at  the  rear;  the  crumpled,  cocked  hat  of  Laval- 
lais  was  crammed  upon  his  ears,  and  any  good 
widow  in  arrears  with  her  rent  would  have  shiv- 
ered properly  enough  at  the  look  he  had  studi- 
ously affixed  to  his  face.  For  a  little  while 
longer  Canardin  went  his  way  afoot  among  the 
now  swelling  crowds  upon  the  quays  and  the 
bridges,  by  way  of  further  testing  the  faithful- 
ness of  his  impersonation,  and  drew  almost 
a  true  notary's  comfort  from  the  sour  and 
hateful  glances  of  those  who  noticed  him  at 
all. 

Quite  assured  now  in  his  headlong  benevolence, 
Canardin  presently  hailed  a  public  coach  and 
had  himself  boldly  driven,  first  of  all  to  a  tavern 
for  breakfast,  where  he  ate  like  an  honest  notary 
who  has  just  settled  an  estate  in  fullest  accord 
with  the  laws  of  the  King.  The  next  address  he 
gave  to  his  coachman  was  a  point  no  other  than 
the  fashionable  quarter  adjoining  the  Tuileries 
palace.  Here,  on  the  top  step  before  a  mansion 
in  the  Rue  St.  Honore",  he  fixed  a  frightened 
flunkey  with  the  incriminating  look  proper  to  a 
man  of  the  law  and  announced : 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         49 

"A  visitor  for  Monsieur  de  Braille — if  lie  is 
about  so  early." 

On  being  assured,  with  some  indignation,  that 
Monsieur  kept  thus  excellent  hours,  Canardin 
further  astonished  the  liveried  jackanapes  with 
the  toss  of  a  golden  coin  and  the  dry  advice : 

"  Discharge  my  coach  on  your  own  terms,  and 
keep  the  remainder  " — which  naturally  meant  all 
but  the  whole  of  it. 

A  smaller  coin  sufficed  to  hurry  another  flun- 
key indoors  with  a  card  which  Canardin  had 
prudently  found  in  one  of  Lavallais's  pockets. 
Katurally  it  proclaimed  the  name  and  the  occu- 
pation of  Armand  Lavallais.  Canardin  was  bid- 
den to  follow.  Kich  eccentrics,  whatever  their 
mode  of  attire,  if  they  are  loose  with  their  change, 
have  never  wanted  for  courteous  tolerance  in  any 
time  or  clime,  and  while  Canardin  was  obliged  to 
wait  half  an  hour,  his  waiting  was  done  in  no 
antechamber.  Straight  to  the  bureau  of  Mon- 
sieur de  Braille,  confidential  secretary  to  the 
Admiral  Cantigny,  for  the  moment  a  member  of 
the  King's  Council,  he  was  ushered  and  stood  be- 
fore a  cheerful  and  inviting  fire  on  the  hearth. 
Accustomed  as  he  was,  at  least  for  brief  periods, 
to  the  surroundings  of  the  rich,  Canardin  seated 
himself  with  the  patient  inquiry : 


50         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"I  hope  Monsieur  will  not  be  long?  I  find 
myself  pressed  for  time." 

"  Monsieur,"  said  the  flunkey,  "  begs  you  will 
excuse  him  for  a  few  moments  while  he  dismisses 
a  messenger  from  the  King." 

With  an  air  of  resignation  and  the  words,  "Ah, 
well,"  Canardin  settled  back  in  his  chair,  not 
without  note  of  a  jeweled  snuff-box  on  the  mantel 
before  him,  which,  when  the  flunkey  was  gone,  he 
slipped  into  his  pocket  as  a  truly  priceless  souve- 
nir of  his  visit.  As  the  wait  lengthened  out  he 
cast  about  for  what  other  trifle  he  might  take 
with  him  for  the  sake  of  remembrance,  and  was 
presently  attracted  to  an  object  promising  excep- 
tional usefulness.  On  the  desk  of  De  Braille, 
among  a  pile  of  dossiers  there  scattered,  his  rapid 
eye  fell  upon  one  marked  "De  Morbihan." 
Scarcely  had  Canardin,  not  troubling  at  the  time 
to  examine  his  find,  slipped  it  between  the  pages 
of  his  book,  when  a  cheery  voice  somewhere  be- 
hind him  broke  into  a  hail  on  the  hurried  opening 
of  a  door. 

"Ah,  my  old  friend,  Armand!  Armand  de 
Lavallais !  To  what  do  I  owe  this  honor?  " 

"  Not  yet  De  Lavallais,  my  dear  De  Braille," 
Canardin  smiled  drily,  remembering  in  the  nick 
of  time  to  cut  down  his  natural  good  nature  to 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         51 

the  character  he  had  assumed.  "  Or  rather,  no 
longer  De  Lavallais,  since  a  loose-fisted  grand- 
father mislaid  it  somewhere  in  the  past." 

"  We  shall  have  to  find  it  again !  Or  fashion  a 
new  one ! " 

"  That  would  be  generous.  And  let  us  say, 
useful.  Especially  to  your  King.  Because  that 
i  de '  would  be  sure  to  cost  me  double  in  taxes," 
Canardin  smiled  a  little  more  amply.  At  the 
same  time  he  felt  his  hand  taken  warmly  between 
both  the  hands  of  his  host,  whilst  he  glanced  into 
a  shrewd  but  kindly  pair  of  eyes  twinkling  in  a 
face  handsome  and  jovial  and  yet  touched  with 
dignity.  Its  owner,  by  the  way,  was  under  no 
compulsion  of  scaling  down  his  good  humor  to 
the  measure  of  a  false  character. 

"  Let's  make  it  De  Lavallais  at  once ! "  De 
Braille  said  heartily,  as  the  two  found  chairs  for 
themselves.  "And  I'll  tax  you  immediately  my- 
self." 

"  What !    Is  there  something  else  that  I  owe?  " 

"An  apology,  at  least.  For  depriving  me  all 
these  years  of  your  company.  And  of  the  privi- 
lege of  doing  something  for  you." 

For  just  an  instant  Canardin  caught  his 
breath,  and  into  his  eye  crept  something  that  was 
wistful,  as  he  glanced  over  the  unaffectedly 


52         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

bonny,  unsuspectingly  genial  young  man  before 
him.  During  that  second  Canardin  felt  many 
things,  chiefly  a  twinge  of  honest  regret  at  de- 
ceiving this  open  fellow  whom  he  had  loved  and 
envied  long  ago.  There  before  Canardin  sat  the 
possible  materials  of  something  he  had  never 
known  in  life, — a  friendship.  The  pause  gave 
him  a  becoming  air  of  embarrassment. 

"  Think  of  it,  Armand !  For  shame !  "  he  was 
hearing.  "  Not  since  the  days  at  Clermont  have 
I  seen  you!  It  is  your  own  fault  if  I  tell  you 
that  but  for  your  card  I  might  not  have  remem- 
bered who  you  are !  " 

Canardin,  studying  his  man,  listened  on. 

"  That,  of  course,"  De  Braille  was  laughing, 
"would  have  been  stupid.  That  serious,  studi- 
ous, sober  face,"  he  cocked  his  head  critically  at 
Canardin.  "  The  one  honest  face  in  France ! 
How  could  I  forget  it!  Come,  Armand,  old 
friend,  what  is  it?  " 

"My  dear  Jean,"  laughed  Canardin,  "just 
when  I  set  you  down  as  a  courtier,  you  come  to 
the  point  like  a  statesman.  Naturally  it  is  to 
ask  a  favor  that  I  am  here  after  all  these  years. 
It  is  always  the  way.  At  the  same  time,"  he 
ended  more  drily,  "  I  may  say  I  have  been  rather 
busy  of  late." 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         53 

"  Come,  come !  You  have  only  to  speak.  I'm 
all  eagerness  to  hear  what  it  is.  At  least  let  me 
know.  Only  make  it  something  that  I  can  do. 
Else  I  may  have  to  remind  you  that  I  am  not, 
precisely,  the  King  himself !  " 

"  Very  well,  then,  Monsieur,  it  is  this." 

"Armand!  Remember,  please,  I  am  always 
Jean  to  you,"  De  Braille  said  kindly. 

"  That  is  good  of  you,  Jean,"  Canardin  an- 
swered,— and  paused  again  for  a  wistful  look. 
"What  I  want,  I  think  I  may  truthfully  say," 
he  laughed  gently  at  his  own  double  meaning, 
but  with  excellent  effect  for  his  cause,  "  is  not  for 
myself.  No  favor  to  me  personally.  In  a  word, 
it  is  this.  I  want  Armand  Lavallais " 

"De  Lavallais,"  Jean  interrupted. 

"  I  want  Armand  de  Lavallais  to  enjoy  a  fuller 
opportunity  of  service  in  His  Majesty's  cause." 

Instantly  De  Braille's  hands  went  up,  so  that 
Canardin  fancied  he  had  opened  a  false  trail. 
He  was  at  once  disabused.  "Armand,  my  simple 
friend !  You  are  one  in  a  thousand !  In  a  mil- 
lion! The  one  man  of  your  kind  in  France! 
Such  language  is  rare  in  this  room." 

"But,  seriously " 

"  Oh,  ask  me  anything  now !  A  dukedom, 
whatever  you  will !  You  are  a  marked  man !  " 


54         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  Yes,"  laughed  Canardin  drily,  "  I  have  some- 
times thought  so  myself.  But  wait  till  you  have 
heard.  Armand  de  Lavallais  must  be  something 
more  than  a  notary.  To  be  of  maximum  use 
to  the  King  he  must  have  privileges  and 
powers " 

"  He  shall  have  them !  You,  I  mean.  But 
why?  Is  it  to  impress  the  lady?  "  De  Braille 
laughed  gaily  at  his  own  sagacity,  and  thereby 
disclosed  his  own  state  of  mind.  "Ah,"  he 
continued,  "  though  I  have  not  seen  you  these 
years,  I  have  heard  your  name  at  Court,  through 
the  blushes  of  Cecile  de  Grammont." 

Canardin  laughed  also  as  he  absorbed  this  use- 
ful information.  "  It  will  help,"  he  said. 

"And  to  what  other  good  end?  " 

Canardin  settled  back  in  his  chair  to  the  com- 
fortable thrill  of  his  errand.  "Very  well.  Of 
course,"  he  began,  narrowly  watching  his 
man  and  awaiting  the  effect  of  his  words,  "  of 
course  you  have  heard  of  the  man  called  Can- 
ardin? " 

"  Oh,  have  I ! "  De  Braille  laughed,  and  again 
his  hands  went  up,  but  this  time  in  no  pretended 
consternation.  "  But  for  that  Canardin  I  should 
be  almost  a  happy  man !  He's  nearly  as  hard  to 
snare  as — as "  De  Braille  caught  himself 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         55 

sheepishly.  "  Of  that  later !  But  don't  tell  me, 
Armand,  that  you  too,  the  shrewd,  cool  Ar- 
mand,  have  been  fascinated  by  that  will-o'-the- 
wisp  ! " 

"  Would  it  startle  you,  my  dear  Jean,  if  I  told 
you  I  might  soon  have  that  Canardin  here  before 
you?  " 

"  No."  Jean  smiled.  "  For  the  simple  reason 
that  it  is  so  little  likely  to  happen !  " 

"Forgive  me  if  I  seem  to  boast,  my  dear 
friend,"  Canardin  leaned  forward  to  say,  "  but 
Canardin  is  closer  to  being  before  you  than  you 
may  be  ready  to  believe." 

"Armand !  I  never  should  have  suspected  you 
of  being  so  taken  in ! "  De  Braille  was  still 
amused. 

"  But  no  longer  ago  than  last  night  I  actually 
saw  the  man." 

"  My  dear  Armand,  there  isn't  a  man  in  France 
who  doesn't  boast  of  having  seen  the  tails  of  his 
coat!" 

"  He  was  in  my  room !  " 

"  That's  what  all  the  children  say !  " 

"  I  exchanged  a  word  with  him !  " 

"And  yet  you  come  here  without  him!  Ar- 
mand ! "  The  confidential  secretary  to  a  mem- 
ber of  the  King's  Council  indulgently  patted 


56         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Canardin's  knee.  "  Come !  "  lie  said  gently,  "  I 
have  heard  of  your  devotion  to  that  man  Can- 
ardin.  But  don't  fancy,  my  dear  old  friend,  that 
to  enjoy  promotion  you  are  condemned  to  chase 
any  such  phantasm.  Of  course  you  will  catch 
him  in  the  end,"  he  added  still  more  gently ;  for 
Canardin,  though  he  was  suitably  complimented 
by  all  this,  felt  driven  to  assume  a  rueful  expres- 
sion in  justice  to  Lavallais.  "  May  the  honor 
fall  to  you,  Armand.  And  you  shall  be  properly 
rewarded  when  it  does.  There  will  be  ready  for 
you  a  place  at  Court,  never  fear.  But  do  you 

know ?  " 

De  Braille  leaned  confidentially  closer.  "  Be 
anything  else  you  choose  in  the  meanwhile,  and 
Canardin's  captor  whenever  you  find  it  conveni- 
ent. As  for  me — this  is  highly  treasonable,  my 
dear  Armand.  I  might  lose  my  head  for  it — it 
would  grieve  me  little  if  that  Canardin  were 
never  captured, — even  by  you !  What  would  life 
be  like  without  that  fellow !  He  keeps  all  France 
amused.  There's  the  mischief  of  him.  It  is  so 
hard  to  be  angry  with  him,  as  one  should.  Tre- 
vours,  De  Morbihan — he  has  all  their  mortal  ene- 
mies laughing  at  their  frantic  efforts  to  capture 
him.  I  give  you  my  word,  since  our  days  to- 
gether at  Clermont  I  have  had  a  secret  love  and 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         57 

admiration  for  that  fellow.  Brignon !  Was  boy 
or  man  ever  so  winning  witli  that  roguish  smile 
of  his !  Often  and  often  I've  wondered  if  so  wild 
a  talent  might  never  be  tamed  and  cabined  like 
one  of  us.  But  no,  that  would  spoil  him.  He 
was  born  to  divert  us.  And  in  the  long  run  lose 
his  head  like  them  all.  But — I  hope  that  catas- 
trophe will  be  long  postponed.  And  by  the 
way " 

Canardin  had  sat  leaning  back  in  his  chair, 
listening  with  even  wonder  and  suspicion, — sus- 
picion as  to  whether  De  Braille  might  not  have  a 
subtle  and  sinister  point  beneath  such  talk.  Here 
the  honest  and  merry  young  fellow  relieved  his 
guest  of  all  uneasiness. 

"  This  is  strange  talk  for  the  secretary  to  a 
member  of  the  King's  Council,  you'll  admit.  But 
while  we  are  talking  here,  just  as  Armand  and 
Jean,  two  old  friends  together,  let  me  mention  a 
matter  of  real  importance."  Through  a  bright 
blush  on  his  face,  De  Braille  smiled  foolishly  as 
he  drew  from  beneath  his  brocaded  waistcoat  a 
locket  which  he  opened  to  disclose  a  very  deli- 
cately painted  miniature.  This  he  somewhat 
timidly  offered  to  Canardin's  inspection,  with  the 
simple  and  conclusive  words, 

"  That  is  she." 


58         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  So  I  observe,"  said  Canardin,  the  more  drily 
because  De  Braille  filled  the  time  with  speech  of 
his  own,  which  was  probably  as  well,  because 
Canardin  might  scarcely  have  cared  to  speak 
what  was  in  his  own  mind.  From  the  miniature 
looked  the  same  mocking  face  he  had  seen  at  his 
side  more  than  comfortably  often  of  late.  Too 
busy  with  looking  to  listen,  he  took  no  heed  of 
De  Braille's  empty  rattling  in  his  ear : 

"Were  ever  such  eyes  before!"  (Canardin 
thought  not.)  "So  roguish  a  smile?  Answer 
me !  "  (And  Canardin  almost  answered.)  "  Can 
you  not  see  the  wit  that  is  there !  "  ( Canardin 
thought  he  could. )  "  The  spirit !  The  raillery ! 
And  ah,  but  it  can  be  haughty  and  biting  at 
times !  At  other  times  so  sweetly  melting !  At 
all  times  so  sprightly!  Her  bewitching  airs — 
they  have  me  mad !  And  oh,  but  she  has  a  shrewd 
head  on  her  shoulders !  My  faith,  Armand !  I'm 
supposed  to  be  concerned  here  with  trifling  mat- 
ters of  state;  but  there  is  where  my  head  is  all 
the  while!  With  excellent  excuse,  you'll  grant 
me,  eh?  " 

This  strain  De  Braille  kept  going  for  some  lit- 
tle while,  with  that  enthusiasm  of  a  lover  which, 
to  those  who  are  obliged  to  listen  to  him,  is  not 
always  so  catching  as  he  supposes.  In  this  in- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         59 

stance  it  is  enough  to  say  that  Canardin — such 
was  the  spell  upon  him  of  the  painted  thing  in 
his  hand — listened  to  the  end  without  a  trace  of 
boredom.  Indeed,  had  De  Braille  at  that  mo- 
ment a  spark  of  interest  left  from  the  topic  upper- 
most on  his  mind,  he  might  have  noticed  on  the 
face  of  his  guest  an  expression  far  removed  from 
boredom.  Instead,  he  babbled  on : 

"And  I  must  tell  you,  Armand!  Will  you  be- 
lieve it!  She,  too,  has  lent  her  heart,  her  soul, 
her  madcap  wits,  to  the  capture  of  Canardin! 
Ah,  but  you  shall  have  to  exert  yourself,  with 
competition  such  as  that!  That  man's  doom  is 
sealed  who  has  a  witty  and  pretty  woman  at  his 
heels !  I'll  stake  her,  Armand,  against  you  all !  " 
De  Braille  exulted.  "And  just  to  make  a  pretty 
race  of  it,  I'll  help  you  all  I  can.  You'll  admit 
I'm  fair  enough,  barring  the  odds  you  have 
against  you?  What  her  methods  are,  what  is 
her  plan  of  attack? — ah,  that  would  be  unfair  to 
her !  But  come,  what  is  it  you  need?  Which  re- 
minds me.  You  have  come  on  a  serious  errand, 
and  I  have  been  frivolous." 

"  I  believe,"  said  Canardin,  hiding  under  a  dry 
tone  of  voice  the  decided  new  interest  aroused  in 
him,  "  I  did  mention  certain  special  powers  and 
privileges " 


60         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"Ah,  yes;  that's  it.  Away  with  rents,  and 
deeds,  and  suits,  and  such  like.  No  more  dry 
civil  law  for  you,  eh?  The  spirit  of  romance 
has  got  into  you.  Fortune  alone  will  no  longer 
do.  You  must  have  a  bit  of  spice,  a  dash  of 
fame.  So  you  will  capture  Canardin!  Eh, 
Lavallais?  Very  good.  It  is  a  noble  ambition. 
Let  us  help  it  along.  What  would  you  say  if  I 
obtained  for  you  " — here  De  Braille  paused  with 
fine  dramatic  effect,  and  with  his  next  words  all 
but  lifted  Canardin  out  of  his  chair — "  what 
would  you  say  if  I  obtained  for  you  a  lettre  de 
cachet?"  He  paused  again,  for  that  to  sink  in. 
"  Now  say  that  I  grudge  anything  to  an  old 
friend!  With  that  little  slip  of  paper  in  your 
keeping,  you  are  almost  the  King  himself.  But  I 
need  not  remind  Armand  de  Lavallais  what  it 
will  do  for  him,  what  doors  it  will  unlock,  what 
persons  will  do  his  bidding,  what  positive  terror 
he  may  strike  with  it,  if  he  pleases !  How  is  that 
for  a  fair  start  against  Mademoiselle  Julie?  What 
is  more,  you  shall  have  it  to-day.  To-night,  at 
the  latest.  In  ten  minutes  I  shall  have  a  courier 
on  the  way  to  Versailles.  His  Majesty's  diges- 
tion is  improved  of  late.  We  must  take  advan- 
tage of  that.  He  will  not  refuse  me  his  signa- 
ture, I  am  certain.  Not  for  the  capture  of  Can- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         61 

ardin,  my  friend!  Nor  shall  I  forget  the  new 
patent  of  nobility.  There !  " 

De  Braille  was  rising,  either  because  he  had 
affairs  of  state  at  heart,  or  affairs  of  heart  at 
stake,  it  matters  little  which.  As  for  Canardin, 
beneath  his  notarial  decorum,  which  it  cost  him 
infinite  effort  to  maintain,  he  was  in  a  state  of 
considerable  commotion!  Such  utterly  incredi- 
ble profit  to  himself,  from  a  lark,  a  droll  amuse- 
ment, an  errand  of  simple  benevolence  he  had 
proposed  to  himself  in  the  name  of  poor  Laval- 
lais!  A  lettre  de  cachet! — A  little  thing  like 
that,  Canardin  decided,  would  have  its  con- 
venience for  him, — even  though  it  cost  his  vanity 
the  impersonation  of  a  country  notary  now  and 
then! 

"  But  wait !  One  moment  before  you  go,"  De 
Braille  was  saying,  now  no  mean  man  of  business, 
as  you  see  from  his  choice  of  words.  "  It  is  just 
as  well  that  you  should  acquaint  yourself  with 
our  own  poor  plans  for  Canardin's  capture."  He 
hastened  to  his  desk  and  began  fumbling  among 
the  litter  of  packets  and  papers  lying  there.  Two 
of  these  he  selected,  but  with  poor  success  still 
hunted  for  a  third.  "  Curse  me !  "  he  mumbled. 
"Where  have  I  mislaid  the  most  important  of 
all !  Morbihan  will  bless  me  if " 


62         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  Perhaps  this  is  it?  "  Canardin  stooped  un- 
der the  table  to  find  the  packet  labelled  "  Due  de 
Morbihan  "  at  the  precise  moment  that  he  deftly 
let  it  slip  from  between  the  leaves  of  the  book  be- 
neath his  arm. 

"  Oh,  wonderful  fortune,  Armand !  I  should 
have  been  disgraced  without  that!  Surely  my 
case  looks  hopeless !  "  De  Braille  gaily  excused 
himself  on  receipt  of  the  dossier.  "  It  is  odd 
how  an  affection  of  the  heart  always  reaches  to 
the  head.  These  three  " — he  now  held  the  packets 
out  to  Canardin — "  take  them  with  you  and  look 
them  over  for  your  profit.  I  need  not  remind 
you  what  a  trust  they  are.  It  will  do  if  you  re- 
turn them  when  you  call  to-night  for  a  certain 
other  document  which  shall  be  ready  then.  Of 
course  you  will  come  in  person  for  that.  If  it 
happens  that  I  find  myself  engaged,"  De  Braille 
smiled  pointedly,  "  a  confidential  clerk  will  hand 
it  to  you  instead.  But  you  alone  are  qualified  to 
receive  such  a  thing,  remember.  And,  by  the  by, 
it  will  do  you  no  harm  to  consult  Trevours.  You 
must  know  him  well.  The  Governor  of  Paris  may 
have  suggestions  of  value.  And  I  doubt  not  he 
will  be  grateful  for  any  advice  of  yours.  And 
now" — De  Braille  was  speaking  rapidly,  his 
mind  quite  evidently  in  another  quarter  alto- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         63 

gether,  and  his  person  eager  to  follow  it,  "  you'll 
forgive  me,  I'm  sure.  Especially  as  I  mean  this 
to  be  but  the  first  of  many  such  happy  occasions 
between  us." 

De  Braille's  hand  extended  itself  to  Canardin, 
a  brighter  smile  than  ever  came  to  his  face,  and 
in  a  moment  the  secretary,  soul  of  amiability, 
was  at  the  door  to  his  private  apartments.  Al- 
most he  had  vanished  through  it,  when,  turning 
suddenly,  he  heard  himself  recalled. 

"  Jean !  If  you  please !  "  Canardin  had  halted 
him.  "  Trevours  I  will  see — gladly !  "  he  added 
grimly.  "  I  can  learn  a  deal  about  Canardin 
from  him!  These  I  will  consent  to  look  over 
only  as  you  are  with  me.  To  take  them  with  me 
would  be,  I  feel,  prying."  Canardin  was  hold- 
ing out  the  envelopes,  containing  information  of 
priceless  importance  to  himself. 

"  As  you  will,  my  dear  fellow !  "  De  Braille 
laughed,  perhaps  a  little  touched,  and  yet 
amused.  These  punctilious  notaries,  what  tire- 
some sticklers  they  were  for  decorum!  "And 
now — adieu!  But  no!  How  stupid  of  me!  I 
have  just  thought ! "  He  rushed  forward  and 
grasped  Canardin  by  the  shoulders.  "  You  are 
to  be  one  of  us  on  Friday  night,  old  fellow !  Al- 
most I  had  forgotten!  Your  invitation  must 


64         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

have  gone  astray.  That  Canardin  will  be  the 
death  of  you!  But  come!  The  Due  d'Orleans 
is  giving  us  a  little  revel  on  Friday  night  at  the 
Palais  Royal.  Among  other  things  a  new  comedy 
by  Moliere — another  old  college  fellow  of  ours, 
you  know.  Gaming  afterward — of  various  kinds ! 
Mademoiselle  Julie  will  be  there.  You  shall  have 
a  sight  of  your  formidable  rival !  Ce"cile,  I  hear, 
has  declined.  Some  uncle  or  other  is  in  bad  sorts. 
Will  she  grill  you  for  coining  without  her? " 
De  Braille  laughed  as  he  gave  Canardin  a  final 
shake.  "At  least,  look  in  for  a  moment.  She 
cannot  slay  you  for  that.  Trevours  will  be  there. 
I  have  it !  Tell  the  jealous  lady  you  went  there 
to  consult  Trevours,  strictly  on  business!  And 
now  I  am  off !  "  And  so  he  was. 

For  a  space,  Canardin,  left  to  himself,  studied 
the  door  just  then  closed  upon  the  laughing  De 
Braille.  Suddenly  he  whisked  about,  drew  from 
his  pocket  De  Braille's  jeweled  snuff-box,  and 
with  a  snap  replaced  it  upon  the  mantel.  It 
must  be  owned  of  Canardin  that  he  did  peep 
into  the  packet  labeled  "  Morbihan  "  before  toss- 
ing it  back  among  the  dossiers  on  the  secretary's 
table.  Then  he  left. 

And  the  lackey  who  let  him  out  of  the  door  in 
front,  had  he  not  been  dwelling  on  his  own  lady 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         65 

love,  might  have  overheard  a  muttered  remark 
which  would  have  been  worth  to  him  more  than 
one  princely  tip  in  Paris  that  night. 

"  Fie  on  you,  Canardin !  Almost  you  played 
the  scoundrel !  "  Such  was  the  remark. 

"  Canardin?  "  he  did  hear  shouted  in  his  very 
ear  by  one  who,  it  appears,  did  chance  to  over- 
hear. 

Canardin's  motions  again  almost  passed  the 
eye  for  swiftness.  His  right  arm  shot  to  his  left 
side  for  the  blade  that  was  not  there  and  quickly 
rested  on  the  book  instead.  In  that  instant  he 
ceased  to  be  Canardin  the  ready  and  was  La- 
vallais  the  startled,  and  the  blaze  in  his  eye  soft- 
ened to  a  smile  as  he  confronted  a  figure  evi- 
dently emerged  from  a  well-guarded  coach  in  the 
street,  and  now  rapidly  mounting  the  steps  be- 
fore him.  This  figure,  wonderfully  bedizened  in 
velvet  and  laces,  Canardin  instinctively  guessed 
to  be  that  of  Trevours,  the  Governor  of  Paris. 


CHAPTER  IV 

GREAT  warriors,  great  poets,  even  horses 
fleeter  than  their  brothers,  and  men  shrewd 
above  their  kind  are  not  always  distinguished 
by  marks  which  set  them  off  unmistakably  from 
the  crowd;  otherwise  Canardin,  lean,  lithe,  and 
alert  as  he  was,  might  have  passed  as  a  nobody 
— which,  in  truth,  the  modest  fellow  was  often 
content  to  do — and  Trevours  would  have  been 
hailed  at  once,  from  his  bulk,  his  raiment,  and 
his  manner,  as  the  final  effort  of  our  common 
Creator.  The  man  whom  Canardin  now  smiled 
upon  was  of  towering  height  and  clearly  of  cor- 
responding strength.  His  bronze  face  was  stern 
to  the  pitch  of  ferocity,  an  effect  carefully  fixed 
and  even  enhanced  by  a  pair  of  formidable  mus- 
tachios  and  a  sharply  pointed  beard.  Merely 
to  look  into  his  eye,  steely  blue  and  piercing, 
required  an  abundance  of  courage.  And  strictly 
in  keeping  with  all  this  was  the  gentleman's 
voice. 

"Did   I  hear   Monsieur  mention  the  fellow 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         67 

Canardin?  "  this  person  boomed  in  a  menacing 
manner,  as  lie  now  mounted  closer  on  the  steps. 

It  was  a  ticklish  moment.  Like  a  hawk 
Canardin  kept  watch  on  this  newcomer,  for  any 
light  of  recognition  in  his  eyes.  Neither  did 
Canardin  lose  sight  of  the  numerous  guard  gaz- 
ing up  from  the  street  in  some  excitement.  One 
other  swift  glance  he  spared  for  some  possible, 
last,  desperate  avenue  of  flight,  this  way  or  that, 
if  it  transpired  that  he  had  been  trapped. 

"What  Monsieur  may  have  overheard,"  said 
Canardin  freezingly,  haughtily,  as  became  the 
situation,  "  is  of  little  interest  to  me.  I  should 
say,  however,"  he  added,  even  more  icily,  "  that 
Monsieur  had  Monsieur  Canardin  very  much  on 
his  mind." 

On  the  next  instant  the  tension  was  suddenly 
relaxed  for  Canardin.  With  an  evident  respect 
for  the  nasty  tongue  of  another  of  these  annoying 
notary  persons,  the  great  man  contented  himself 
with  ruffling  up  his  gorgeous  plumage  and  swept 
grandly  past  the  frightened  lackeys  into  De 
Braille's  empty  house.  Canardin,  on  his  own 
part,  lost  no  time  in  descending  the  steps  and 
passing  the  uncomfortably  curious  men  of  the 
guard,  with  a  stiffness  in  his  step  that  was  not 
altogether  born  of  an  offended  dignity.  Once 


68         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

safely  round  the  nearest  corner,  he  quickly  van- 
ished toward  his  more  settled  haunts. 

"  Ah !  Master !  Again !  "  cried  the  bent  old 
fellow  Bonbouche,  startled  as  Canardin  darted 
like  an  apparition  into  the  attic  retreat  in  the 
Kue  Beauchaine.  "And  with  the  Joumettes' 
thousand  livres ! "  For  Canardin  had  not  neg- 
lected, at  a  favorable  moment,  to  recover  from 
its  hiding  place  Madame  Joumette's  temptation 
to  envy.  "  Do  you  wonder,  master,  that  I  suffer 
from  ague !  "  the  old  one  babbled  nervously.  "  In 
the  morning  it  is  a  fever  of  fear,  when  I  know  you 
can  never  possibly  return.  In  the  evening,  a 
fever  of  relief  when  you  do.  And  now  with 
money  besides !  "  He  rubbed  his  warped  hands. 

"  Peace,  fool !  'T  has  been  a  black  day,"  said 
Canardin. 

"  With  a  thousand  livres !  " 

"  They  will  go  quickly  enough.  But  to-day, 
Bonbouche  " — Canardin  paused  for  a  long  gaze 
out  through  the  cobwebbed  window — "to-day, 
for  once,  I  saw  something  I  may  never  have." 

"No  pretty  woman,  certainly!  If  once  Can- 
ardin should  fix  his  eye  upon  one "  The  old 

man  ceased  abruptly.    One  glance  of  Canardin's 
eye,  fixed  upon  him,  had  set  him  to  shivering. 

At  once,  by  way  of  softening  his  savagery, 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         69 

Canardin  related  the  morning's  proceedings,  to 
the  vast  amusement  of  his  willing  lackey. 
"  Nevertheless,"  the  old  one  sighed  at  the  end  of 
it,  "  I  am  glad  that  droll  adventure  is  over !  " 

"  It  is  not  yet  over !  "  said  Canardin.  "  You 
forget  a  little  matter  like  the  let tre  de  cachet." 

"What!  No,  master!  For  a  mere  scrap  of 
paper  you  would  return  to  that  place?  They 
will  have  it  trebly  guarded !  It  is  putting  your 
head  into  the  very  noose  itself !  I  am  sure  Mon- 
sieur de  Braille  never  meant  it.  He  has  forgot- 
ten it  already." 

"  I  fear  so  myself,"  said  Canardin  sadly.  "  All 
the  same,  I  mean  to  make  sure  about  that  '  mere 

scrap  of  paper.'  If  he  has  not  forgotten If 

once  I  get  that  little  strip  of  paper " 

In  the  swift  procession  of  his  moods,  Canardin 
felt  the  need  of  pacing  the  length  of  his  garret, 
springing  on  the  tips  of  his  toes,  as  if  lifted  into 
the  air  by  a  soaring  idea.  By  that  touch  alone, 
however,  was  his  inward  excitement  expressed. 
What  would  have  moved  other  men  to  paroxysms 
of  exultation,  in  Canardin  stirred  ironic  melan- 
choly. "  With  that  mere  scrap  of  paper,  as  you 
call  it,  my  beloved  Bonbouche,"  he  said  sadly. 
"  I  believe  I  shall  lay  all  dross  of  self  aside.  It 
is  true  that  I  never  have  relieved  any  but  knaves 


70         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

of  their  ill-gotten  gains.  At  the  same  time  I 
must  own  it  was  plunder,  and  for  my  own  profit. 
But  now,  Bonbouche !  "  Canardin  drew  himself 
up  proudly  before  the  old  fellow,  always  puzzled 
by  these  flashes  of  wild  irony  in  his  master. 
"  Now  I  am  a  servant  of  the  King !  I  no  longer 
plunder;  I  confiscate! — in  his  honored  name! 
But  quick ! "  the  outburst  ended  in  quiet  laugh- 
ter. "  The  response  must  measure  up  to  the  du- 
ties! My  best  rapier,  Bonbouche!  Tumble 
out  the  whole  wardrobe,  while  you're  about 
it!" 

Wondering  what  new  terror  was  afoot,  the  old 
servant  proceeded  to  open  one  chest  after  an- 
other as  he  was  bidden,  to  a  steady  stream  of 
expressions  of  disgust  from  his  chief. 

"What,  fool!  The  best  we  have?  It  is  noth- 
ing but  rubbish !  Lavallais  would  never  forgive 
me  for  such  a  vulgar  misuse  of  his  identity !  To 
the  dump  with  it  all !  Duty  demands  a  suitable 
dress  for  itself !  The  blessings  of  Providence  on 
old  Joumette !  Thanks  to  his  timely  aid  I'll  pale 
Morbihan  himself  this  week.  Friday  night !  'Tis 
not  long  to  wait.  Three  days." 

"  'Tis  Woman  at  last !  "  Bonbouche  bowed  his 
head  in  resignation,  then  raised  it  in  such  terror 
that,  for  errands  upon  his  master,  he  was  totally 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         71 

useless,  as  he  heard  Canardin  unfold  his  plans 
for  the  night. 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  knave !  "  Canardin  sought 
to  halt  his  lamentations. 

"  Master,  you  are  mad !  It  is  Woman.  I  know 
it !  Nothing  else  could  so  addle  your  wits !  " 

"  Have  done !  Where  else,  fool,  could  I  be  so 
secure  as  under  the  personal  protection  of  the 
Governor  of  Paris !  " 

Seeing  his  old  servitor  reduced  to  a  pulp  of 
helplessness,  Canardiq  himself  boldly  dared  the 
busy  streets  of  Paris  by  daylight,  a  procedure 
more  venturesome  now  than  in  the  earlier  hours 
of  the  day,  because  Trevours,  goaded  to  greater 
fury  than  ever  by  Canardin's  foray  of  the  night 
before  under  the  very  nose  of  his  vigilance,  had 
caused  a  general  alarm  to  be  spread,  and  every- 
where his  men  were  on  the  watch. 

Dusk  was  at  hand  before  it  suited  Canardin's 
fancy,  or  his  notion  of  prudence,  to  return  to  the 
loft.  So  captivated  was  Bonbouche,  however, 
by  the  appearance  of  his  master  when  he  came, 
that  almost  the  sly  fellow  was  reconciled  to  the 
wild  new  exploit  which  justified  and  required 
such  a  costume.  "  It  is  no  let tre  de  cachet  he's 
after ! "  the  old  man  inwardly  raved.  "  It  is 
Woman !  The  end  of  our  prosperity  has  come ! " 


72         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

And  by  no  means  unjustified  were  Boubouche's 
suspicions.  It  was  evident  enough,  that  Can- 
ardin, in  the  choice  of  his  garments,  had  been 
urged  by  some  purpose  more  stirring  than  the 
mere  need  of  disguise.  Except  for  his  stockings 
of  a  heavy  black  silk,  he  was  garbed  in  velvet,  of 
the  deepest  of  bottomless  blues.  This  would  have 
had  a  somber  effect  but  for  the  paler  blue  of  his 
cocked  hat,  the  sweeping  white  plume  that  graced 
it,  the  falls  of  snowy  lace  at  his  bosom  and  wrists, 
and  the  bright  sparkle  of  stones  on  the  buckles 
of  his  shoes  and  the  hilt  of  his  rapier.  Nothing 
is  more  noticeable  than  a  studied  simplicity,  and 
by  that  very  fact  had!  Canardin's  taste  been 
governed.  When  the  daring  mood  was  upon  him, 
Canardin  would  set  no  bounds  to  his  daring! 
Not  a  flash  of  color  distracted  the  eye  from  the 
man  who  elected  to  stand  forth  for  what  he  was 
in  that  composition.  It  not  simply  invited,  it 
forced  the  question,  "  Who  is  that  man?  " 

"  This  goes?  "  said  Canardin,  parading  before 
Bonbouche  with  ironically  mincing  steps  in  his 
high,  red-heeled  shoes. 

"  It  goes ! "  Bonbouche  agreed,  readily  enough. 

"  Then  so  do  I.  It  needs  a  test.  Forget  the 
ague  to-night,  old  boar.  I  shall  be  well  enough 
looked  after.  Even  on  Friday  night,  outside  the 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         73 

Palais,  in  the  crowd  looking  on  at  the  revels  of 
others,  there  will  be  a  few  who  are  not  such  fools 
— do  you  understand?  Our  friends  the  usurers 
may  expect  a  few  attentions.  More  coins  to  your 
coffers,  old  miser!  And  at  the  Palais  Royal, 
during  the  course  of  the  ball,  a  lackey  shall  an- 
nounce me — as  Canardin.  Au  revoir !  "  And 
Canardin  vanished. 

Utter  darkness  had  come.  By  a  circuitous 
route  Canardin  emerged  on  a  corner  where  stood 
the  coach  he  had  ordered  to  wait  for  him  there. 
At  the  best  pace  of  the  nags  he  had  himself  driven 
at  once  to  the  house  of  De  Braille.  Scarcely,  in 
his  heart  of  hearts,  had  Canardin  dared  to  base 
a  hope  of  such  a  thing  as  a  lettre  de  cachet  on 
the  careless  and  probably  forgotten  promise  of 
De  Braille.  He  mounted  the  steps  a  little  sick 
of  his  errand.  What  was  his  boundless  surprise, 
therefore,  on  discovering  that  the  light-hearted 
secretary  had  been  neither  remiss  nor  nagging  in 
energy.  The  magical  paper,  the  verbal  thunder- 
bolt of  royal  forging,  was  ready  for  him.  With 
due  ceremony  Canardin  received  it  of  an  awe- 
struck clerk.  It  cost  him  an  effort  to  forget  his 
haste  and  remember  his  dignity  as  he  descended 
De  Braille's  steps  to  r center  his  coach. 

Just  as  he  was  about  to  step  into  it,  it  was 


74        THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

whisked  away  on  a  sharp  order,  and  Canardin, 
standing  speechless  at  the  curb,  found  himself 
confronted  by  a  numerous  guard,  personally 
commanded  by  the  impressive  figure  of  Trevours, 
who  now  stepped  close. 

"  Monsieur !  "  came  his  booming  voice.  "  I 
must  ask  an  explanation !  " 

"  Monsieur !  "  Canardin  drew  himself  up 
haughtily,  bolder  than  ever  with  a  certain  new 
weapon  in  his  possession.  "  I  demand  an  expla- 
nation ! " 

"Is  it  possible  that  you  do  not  know  who  I 
am?" 

"  I  would  say  the  same  of  yourself,  Mon- 
sieur ! " 

"  You  are  a  stranger  to  Paris !  " 

"  As  truth  is  a  stranger  to  fiction !  " 

This  remark  appeared  to  baffle  the  Governor 
of  Paris  and  to  heighten  his  suspicion.  "  The 
occupant  of  this  house  is  absent." 

"That  is  profoundly  true,"  said  Canardin. 
"  Monsieur,  will  you  have  the  goodness  to  state 
your  errand  and  have  done  with  it?  " 

Trevours's  hand  reached  out  as  if  itching  to 
take  hold  of  Canardin,  but  he  seemed  to  think 
better  of  it.  Evidently  he  was  nonplussed  by 
the  dress  and  bearing  of  the  man  before  him. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         75 

"  Monsieur,"  lie  boomed,  "  a  man  of  your  height 
was  here  this  morning !  " 

Meanwhile,  now  that  they  had  their  man,  some 
of  the  soldiery  lighted  torches,  to  help  along  the 
proceedings.  Trevours  would  have  been  as  happy 
had  they  not  done  so.  He  was  forced  to  look 
into  the  most  taunting  smile  that  impudence  had 
ever  flung  at  his  grandeur.  For  an  old  recollec- 
tion had  been  confirmed  in  Canardin.  This  gor- 
geous policeman,  formidable  as  he  had  become, 
still  suffered,  it  was  clear,  from  the  ancient  hand- 
icap of  a  lack  of  wit.  Evidently  life  itself  had 
availed  no  more  than  Clermont  to  sharpen  the 
noisy  Trevours.  "  What  is  more,"  the  Governor 
of  Paris  was  booming,  "  I  distinctly  heard  that 
man  mention  the  name  of  Canardin  this  morn- 
ing!" 

"You  probably  did."  Canardin  put  on  the 
dryest  of  notarial  accents.  "  I  had  just  been 
closeted  with  my  colleague,  De  Braille,  on  the 
very  subject  of  Canardin.  And  now,  the  some- 
what noticeable  marks  of  your  importance  en- 
title me  to  the  belief,  Monsieur,  that  I  have  the 
honor  to  greet  his  worship,  the  Governor  of 
Paris.  Am  I  mistaken?  " 

"  Aha !    Then  you  know  very  well  who  I  am !  " 

"I  am  satisfied,  Monsieur,"  Canardin  looked 


76         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

him  over  again,  "  that  no  other  would  so  aptly 
look  the  part  and  fill  the  office ! " 

At  this  Trevours  had  wit  enough  to  doubt  for 
a  moment  whether  he  had  not  listened  to  some- 
thing insulting.  He  chose  to  be  complimented 
instead,  and  drew  himself  higher  than  ever,  as  if 
to  place  his  identity  even  farther  beyond  mis- 
take, if  that  were  possible.  "  Now  will  Monsieur 
be  good  enough  to  give  me  his  name?  "  he  said, 
somewhat  mollified. 

Canardin  laughed  outright.  "  Monsieur,"  he 
said,  "your  behavior  is  a  little  out  of  the  ordi- 
nary. You  ask  as  if  you  expected  me  to  tell  you 
my  name  is  Monsieur  Canardin !  Whereas  I  had 
hoped  to  be  rememberd  without  the  aid  of  a  re- 
minder." 

Again  Trevours  suspected  some  subtle  assault 
upon  his  intelligence,  and  reverted  again  to  his 
usual  defence  of  bullying  gruffness.  "  Well,  well, 
Monsieur !  I  have  no  taste  for  sly  speech !  The 
name,  if  you  please !  " 

"  My  dear  Trevours ! "  said  Canardin.  "  Is  it 
possible  that  you  do  not  recall  your  old  school- 
mate at  Clermont,  Armand  de  Lavallais?  "  And 
Canardin  stretched  forth  his  hand. 

Trevours  released  it  quickly,  with  a  measure 
of  contempt.  To  him  notaries  were  dangerous 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         77 

creatures,  political  pests,  uncomfortably  cun- 
ning, little  better  than  Canardin  himself.  And 
this  one,  to  judge  by  his  sudden  improvement  in 
dress  over  that  of  the  morning,  was  the  more 
dangerous  because  rich.  "Ah,  yes,  yes,  Ar- 
mand,"  he  said  coolly,  after  another  of  those 
piercing  glances  at  Canardin  which  were  only 
natural  to  the  first  watchdog  of  France.  "  Of  a 
surety.  I  knew  you  at  once.  Though  it  is  years 
since  we  met."  Trevours  was  beginning  to  feel 
uncomfortable  in  front  of  his  men.  Hence  he 
boomed  louder  than  ever,  "  But  you  understand. 
In  my  position  one  cannot  afford  to  be  deceived. 
Never !  Not  for  a  moment !  " 

At  this  unusual  commotion  in  the  quiet  street 
a  crowd  had  begun  to  collect  at  a  safe  distance. 
Seeing  this,  Canardin  himself  spoke  in  a  clearer 
tone.  "  Is  it  really  possible,  my  dear  Trevours," 
he  said  as  if  aggrieved,  "that  you  took  me  for 
the  notorious  Canardin!  Am  I  to  understand 
that  you  have  never  yet  seen  the  fellow !  " 

Once  more  Trevours  started  angrily,  at  a  sus- 
picion that  here  was  another  of  those  digs  at  a 
bluff,  honest  man.  "Well,  well,  Armand.  As 
you  will.  One  takes  no  chances,  that's  all. 
Clermont,  yes.  But  be  reminded  that  Canardin 
himself  was  at  Clermont.  Clermont  did  nothing 


78         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

to  make  a  dove  of  that  hawk ! "  He  started  to 
move  away. 

"  Clermont  was  a  dovecote,  wasn't  it?  Eh, 
Trevours?  "  Canardin  held  him  boldly.  "  As 
you  and  I  well  know ! " 

The  Governor  of  Paris  responded  with  some- 
thing in  the  nature  of  a  grin. 

"  Do  you  recall,  Trevours,  that  occasion  when 
you  and  I  plastered  the  principal's  chair  with 
pitch,  in  the  certainty  that  it  would  be  held — 
as  it  was — against  Canardin,  thanks  to  the  name 
he  had  got  already  for  his  pranks?  There  was 
once,  Trevours,  when  you  scored  on  Can- 
ardin ! " 

The  Governor's  smile  gained  something  in 
ferocity. 

"  And  the  lacing  you  were  privileged  to  give 
him  for  your  own  fault — there  was  something, 
Trevours,  that  should  console  you  for  all  the 
merry  pranks  that  Canardin  has  since  then 
played  upon  you !  Eh?  " 

Still  again  the  Governor  of  Paris  started  at 
the  tickle  of  edged  words  against  his  tough  wits. 
And  was  suitably  stung.  "  Curse  the  impudent 
rascal !  I  will  say  he  has  led  me  a  dance  of  late ! 
But  there  will  be  an  end  to  his  audacities !  Mark 
me,  I  shall  have  him  in  the  end !  " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         79 

"Would  you  scorn  a — a  little  assistance,  my 
dear  Trevours?" 

"What!  Yours?"  A  smile,  if  it  could  be 
called  such,  reappeared  on  the  Governor's  face. 

"  If  you  remember,  I  said  this  morning  I  had 
been  closeted  with  my  colleague,  De  Braille," 
Canardin  said  more  confidentially.  "  It  was  his 
earnest  wish  that  I  should  fly  at  once  to  you. 
And  I  was  just  on  my  way  to  bring  you  the  bene- 
fits of  my  advice  when  you  happily  arrived — 
with  your  ample  guard.  That  guard,  by  the  way, 
Trevours — at  the  very  outset  it  is  a  grievous  mis- 
take. It  too  plainly  publishes  the  news  of  your 
presence.  So  that  from  the  noise  you  take  with 
you,  Canardin  will  always  know  your  where- 
abouts and  govern  himself  accordingly.  Better 
be  rid  of  it." 

"  By  my  mother's  soul,  a  sage  suggestion !  I 
never  would  have  thought  of  it,  with  my  dignities 
to  support  as  I  have.  But  no ! "  Still  again 
Trevours  was  a  prey  to  suspicion.  "  I  doubt  not 
that  was  a  thought  of  De  Braille's,  the  jealous 
ninny !  He  wants  to  see  me  robbed  of  my  digni- 
ties!" 

"  Be  rid  of  that  guard,  my  dear  Trevours. 
Observe  the  crowd  collected  in  the  street  already, 
every  beggar  of  them  gaping  in  curiosity.  Be 


80         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

sure  that  crowd  is  dotted  with  Canardin's  spies. 
They  are  everywhere.  Drawn  by  your  pomp  and 
keeping  an  eye  on  you.  How  will  you  ever  put 
salt  on  that  bird's  tail  when  you  tread  so  heav- 
ily!" 

"Well  spoken!  Ho,  Drouet!  Captain!  Be 
off.  Till  I  send  for  you."  When  the  obedient 
guard  with  its  torches  had  moved  away,  Tre- 
vours  turned  to  Canardin,  more  comfortable  in 
the  greater  darkness.  "  Perhaps  we  had  better 
be  indoors,  out  of  sight.  De  Braille  was  expect- 
ing me." 

"Another  fatal  error,  Trevours,  with  your 
pardon,"  said  Canardin  sententiously.  "  Enter 
this  house,  and  Canardin's  lieutenants  will  have 
him  posted  in  a  minute  as  to  where  you  are, 
whilst  he  brings  off  some  daring  stroke  in  an  op- 
posite quarter." 

"  But  my  friend,  what  would  you !  You  have 
just  warned  me  that  my  guard  makes  me  too 
conspicuous,  so  that  the  rogue  always  knows 
where  I  am !  " 

"  Par  be  it  from  me,  my  dear  Trevours,  to  teach 
you  when  to  be  seen,  and  when  not.  Your  own 
discretion  must  be  your  guide.  Keep  this  in 
mind,  however!"  Canardin  now  whispered. 
"  Canardin  will  never  be  taken  by  force,  but  only 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         81 

by  stratagem.  Appear  in  public,  and  he  natu- 
rally retires.  Enter  a  house,  and  he  has  you  pre- 
cisely placed.  And  there  you  are.  As  you  may 
have  observed,  Trevours,  it  is  to  be  a  battle  of 
wits.  In  such  a  contest  I  am  sure  you  will  come 
out  ahead — if  you  hurry.  I  warn  you  it  may 
take  patience,  however.  That  Canardin  will  have 
his  fling!'" 

"  By  my  faith,"  Trevours  said,  more  confiden- 
tially, "  it  would  not  surprise  me  if  the  fellow 
rifled  my  bureau  while  I  am  away !  " 

"  Ay,  Trevours,  on  the  word  of  good  Jean  de 
Braille  himself,  that  Canardin,  it  would  seem, 
has  set  all  Paris  laughing." 

"  At  me,  you  mean?  De  Braille  himself  said 
that?  It  was  what  he  meant,  I'll  be  bound,  the 
jealous  jackanapes ! " 

Inwardly  Canardin  was  convulsed  with  merri- 
ment as  he  hurried  this  cumbersome  intelligence 
now  this  way,  now  that.  "  There,  my  dear  Tre- 
vours," he  said,  as  with  the  sincerest  sympathy, 
"  is  the  whole  hitch  o'  the  matter.  There  lies  the 
puzzle  for  you.  It  is  not  Canardin  alone  that  you 
have  to  deal  with,  but  Paris  itself.  You  well 
know  how  it  insists  upon  being  amused.  And  I 
fancy  that  clever  Canardin  has  guessed  as  much, 
and  will  plague  you  accordingly." 


82        THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Here  the  native  terrors  of  Trevours's  counte- 
nance dissolved  into  a  look  of  positive  dismay. 

Belentlessly  Canardin  plied  it  on.  "  And  this 
at  the  very  moment,  as  our  dear  Jean  tells  me, 
when  the  King  looks  to  you  the  most  anxiously 
for  the  promptest  riddance  of  the  rogue.  His 
Majesty  takes  the  jest  to  have  run  on  quite 
enough." 

"Does  he,  does  he?  What — what  would  you 
counsel  me  to  do?  You  notaries  know  every- 
thing. What  does  De  Braille  advise?  " 

Now  Canardin  felt  he  could  toy  with  his  man. 
"  Listen  to  me,  my  good  Trevours,"  he  said  im- 
pressively, clearing  his  throat.  "  Do  you  know, 
for  example,  the  precise  whereabouts  of  Canardin 
at  this  moment?  " 

"  That  is  to  say,  Armand,  that  you  yourself 
know? "  Trevours  said  eagerly.  "  Where  is 
he?" 

"  I  hardly  dare  risk  a  conjecture,"  said  Can- 
ardin, in  the  familiar  dry  tone.  "  That,  at  this 
particular  moment,  is  his  own  affair.  But  I  have 
singularly  exact  information  as  to  where  he  will 
be  in  a  day  or  two.  Perhaps  Friday  night.  That 
was  my  errand  with  you.  It  occurred  to  me  that 
we  might  exchange  all  the  knowledge  we  possess 
between  us.  I  can  then  compare  your  plans  for 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         83 

his  capture  with  my  positive  knowledge  as  to 
where  Canardin  shall  be." 

"  Excellent !  Splendid !  A  bare  moment  in- 
side will  do  us  no  harm.  Come!  Perhaps  De 
Braille  will  have  valuable  suggestions " 

"  He  has  just  left,  to  keep  an  imperative  ap- 
pointment." 

"  At  the  royal  command?  " 

"  Oh,"  said  Canardin,  with  such  point  that 
Trevours  was  freshly  perturbed,  "  I  am  sure  the 
command  was  royal ! " 

"  That  means  I  must  act  at  once ! "  said  the 
Governor.  "  Friday  night?  No !  " — he  hesitated, 
with  a  wry  smile — "that  cannot  be!  Not  Fri- 
day!" 

"  Ah,"  said  Canardin,  "  you  had  an  expedition 
planned  for  Friday  night?  " 

"  Not  that  sort  of  expedition !  "  laughed  Tre- 
vours. "  Suppose  we  make  it  for  to-morrow 
night.  Canardin  will  then  be  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Meaux,  I  am  told." 

"Waiting,  of  course,  to  keep  the  rendezvous 
with  you !  Make  it  Friday  night  without  fail,  my 
dear  Trevours.  Canardin  will  then  be" — the 
rogue  hesitated,  and  finished — "  elsewhere." 

"You  are  sure?  " 

"  I  am  positive." 


84         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  My  men  have  other  information.  How  do 
you  know?  " 

"  My  dear  Trevours !  It  happens  that  I  have 
devoted  my  life  to  Canardin.  That  man's  shadow 
and  I  have  rarely  been  wider  .apart  than  that !  " 
Canardin  snapped  his  fingers. 

The  Governor  drew  himself  to  his  fullest 
height  and  answered  in  a  superior  manner, 
"  Many  have  said  as  much ! " 

"  Oh,  understand  me !  "  the  generous  Canardin 
granted.  "  Canardin  must  be  a  slight  matter 
amid  the  Governor's  other  cares." 

With  a  grave  nod  the  Governor  of  Paris 
signaled  that  at  last  he  himself  had  been  under- 
stood. 

"  Others,"  said  Canardin,  "  are  constantly 
juggling  for  your  exalted  place." 

There  the  Governor  winced. 

"  That,  Trevours,  is  why  I  have  come  to  Paris. 
I  said  to  myself,  '  It  is  a  scandal,  no  less,  that 
the  good  Trevours  should  be  made  a  laughing- 
stock to  all  France,  because  of  this  mere  come- 
dian, Canardin !  Before  the  Governor  knows  it/ 
I  said,  '  some  designing  knave  will  have  his  sta- 
tion away  from  him.' " 

"  Do  you  really  think  so,  Armand!"  Trevours's 
perturbation  deepened. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         85 

"  Trevours,  we  folk  from  the  country  are  not 
the  simpletons  that  Paris  delights  to  think  us. 
Even  there  we  have  heard  that  unless  Canardin 
is  soon  captured,  your  dignities,  the  reward  of 
years  of  the  kicks  you  have  received  and  given 
about  the  Court " — Canardin  spoke  the  rest  more 
loudly — "  will  be  in  jeopardy." 

"  Is  it  possible !  "  gasped  Trevours.  "  Come, 
let  us  go  in  where  we  may  be  more  in  private. 
But  what — what  am  I  to  do !  Curse  the  fellow !  " 
His  alarm  took  refuge  in  anger.  "  I  have  turned 
all  Paris  upside  down.  Clue  after  clue  I  have 
followed.  And  he  isn't  there !  Damme  if  I  don't 
believe  the  rascal  has  supplied  the  clues  him- 
self!" 

"  That,"  said  Canardin  gravely,  "  is  quite  pos- 
sible. Here.  Come.  On  second  thought  I  have 
something,"  he  snapped,  as  if  swayed  by  some 
generous  impulse.  "  Something  not  for  the  ears 
of  lackeys.  Come." 

"  Have  you?  "  Trevours  said  eagerly,  suffering 
himself  to  be  escorted  to  the  top  of  the  flight  and 
to  the  dark  shadows  of  the  entry  to  De  Braille's 
house — not,  however,  wholly  out  of  sight  from 
the  street.  It  was  not  in  Canardin's  thought, 
even  at  that  quiet  hour  of  the  day,  to  let  slip  the 
soundest  position  he  had  yet  attained — by  the 


86         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

side,  and  under  the  protection  of  the  Governor  of 
Paris. 

"  Listen,  Trevours,"  he  said,  with  an  air  of  the 
greatest  caution.  "  Guard  well  what  I  am  moved 
to  tell  you.  Put  away  your  appointment  on  Fri- 
day night  with  the  fair  one.  She  will  not  desert 
you  just  for  that — whilst  Canardin  may.  You 
will  be  the  best  judge  of  this  clue  that  I  have. 
How  much  it  is  worth  I  do  not  know.  My  own 
information  was  that  Canardin  was  to  be  at  Issy. 
But  from  a  source  I  am  not  apt  to  question,  it  has 
been  whispered  that  on  Friday  night  Canardin 
will  attempt  a  stroke  bolder  than  any  before. 
At  a  point  which  you  would  be  the  last  to  guess." 

"  My  own  apartment,  I'll  wager !  Whilst  I 
am  away.  'Twould  be  just  like  him  to  plague 
me  like  that.  To  raise  a  laugh  at  my  expense." 

"  That,"  said  Canardin,  "  may  well  come,  later. 
This  hint  of  mine  has  it,  nevertheless,  that  on 
Friday  night  Canardin  will  aim,  not  to  raise 
laughter,  but,  Trevours,  to  strike  consternation. 
It  will  be  in  the  very  neighborhood  of  the  King 
himself ! " 

"Versailles?"  Trevours  whispered  loudly. 

"  As  I  said,  Trevours ;  Versailles,  no  less.  So, 
at  least,  runs  the  hint  I  have  received.  'Twould 
be  quite  in  key  with  his  bravado.  But  for  my- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         87 

self  I  scarcely  believe  it.  My  own  guess  is  that 
he  will  stop  at  Issy." 

"Issy?  What  is  there  for  Canardin  at  Issy! 
No,  I  am  sure  it  is  Versailles.  'Twould  be  just 
like  him!" 

"  Issy,  I  think." 

"  No,  Versailles !    Armand,  I  am  undone !  " 

"  Nonsense,  my  dear  Trevours.  There  is  your 
opportunity!  What  better  could  you  wish! 
There  he  is,  in  the  very  neighborhood  of  your 
King.  And  there,  Trevours,  you  take  him! 
There,  under  the  very  eyes  of  Majesty  itself, 
where  none  can  rob  you  of  your  glory !  Instantly 
your  sagacity  is  vindicated,  you  are  restored  to 
royal  favor.  What  more  could  one  ask ! " 

The  Governor  of  Paris  slapped  his  thigh  over 
this  entrancing  picture  of  himself  on  the  crest 
of  glory.  "  Armand,  I  shall  have  him !  " 

"  Take  your  shrewdest  men.  The  very  shrewd- 
est. Even  though  you  have  to  strip  Paris." 

"  I  will  take  five  hundred !  " 

"  The  park  is  a  large  place.  You  will  need 
them  all." 

"A  thousand!" 

"  Good !  Be  on  the  move  at  once.  Place  your- 
self at  their  head.  Leave  no  wood  uncombed 
along  the  way.  Girdle  the  royal  park  with  a 


88         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

human  wall.  And  by  the  stroke  of  twelve  you 
should  have  your  quarry  in  hand  for  good  and 
all." 

"  Provided  " — for  a  moment  Trevours  enjoyed 
this  prospect,  and  then  finished — "  provided  he 
is  there ! " 

"  Rumor  alone,  Trevours,"  said  Canardin, 
barely  able  to  suppress  laughter  outright,  "  is 
sufficient  to  take  you  there.  The  King  will  ap- 
plaud such  energy  in  his  protection,  such  sleep- 
less vigilance.  At  the  lightest  alarm  you  have 
flown  to  guard  him!  Besides,  Trevours — sup- 
pose Canardin  were  there?  " 

"  True !    It  is  true !  " 

"  And  to  allow  for  any  contingency,  I  have  a 
stratagem  of  my  own.  On  Friday  night  I  will 
go  myself  to  Issy.  Few  will  know  or  care  if 
Armand  de  Lavallais  makes  a  fool  of  himself. 
But  as  I  am  a  thoughtful  rather  than  a  daring 
man,  I  will  ask  you  for  a  guard." 

"  The  favor  is  yours — an  even  return !  Forty 
men!  The  cunningest  foxes  at  my  com- 
mand ! " 

"  They  would  only  embarrass  me." 

"  Fifty,  then !    A  hundred !  " 

"  A  single  one  would  do.  There  is  one  in  par- 
ticular that  I  had  in  mind." 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         89 

"  He  shall  be  one  of  the  fifty.  You  have  only 
to  name  him." 

"  His  name,"  said  Canardin,  with  great  nota- 
rial simplicity,  "  I  am  told  is  Monsieur  Julie." 

Trevours  first  uttered  a  low  whistle  of  amaze- 
ment. His  mental  processes  next  worked  for- 
ward to  a  milder  astonishment,  expressed  in  a 
gasp.  Last  of  all  he  laughed  boisterously  at  this 
egregious  simpleton.  "  Julie?  "  he  said.  "  Julie 
'  his  '  name?  "  he  laughed  on — and  then  sobered 
suddenly.  "  See  here !  De  Braille  put  you  up 
to  that,  I'll  warrant !  Julie,  my  dear  Armand,  is 
— Julie !  Julie  Lecoigneux !  Wait !  " 

The  Governor  of  Paris  fumbled  about  his 
frilled  bosom  for  a  moment  busily  and  at  last 
drew  forth  a  miniature  upon  which  Canardin 
beheld  the  precise  image  which  had  sent  De 
Braille  into  such  raptures  a  few  hours  before. 
And  the  raptures  of  Trevours  resembled  those  of 
De  Braille  as  the  miniatures  themselves  were 
precisely  alike.  "The  merriest  little  minx  at 
Court !  "  Trevours  at  last  came  to  a  close.  "  In 
all  Paris !  In  all  France !  And  the  quickest  wit 
in  the  world!  You  might  well  consider  your 
ranks  full,  if  she  were  among  them!  And  what 
a  prank  she  would  think  it !  I  have  it !  "  Once 
more  Trevours  slapped  his  thigh,  that  being  the 


90         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

manner  in  which  thought  was  most  apt  to  ex- 
press itself  in  him.  "  She  shall  go !  On  Friday 
night.  In  your  hands,  Lavallais,  she  would  be 
as  safe  as  in  a  nunnery !  " 

"  Thanks,"  said  Canardin. 

"  Oh,  this  is  capital ! "  But  suddenly  Tre- 
vours's  merriment  shaded  again  into  beefy  cun- 
ning, and  thence  into  his  professionally  sus- 
picious nature.  "  Armand,  I  see  it !  You  have 
been  cruelly  played  upon.  De  Braille  has  wanted 
me  out  of  his  way  on  Friday  night,  in  order  to 
have  the  lady  to  himself.  He  has  taken  advan- 
tage of  your  simplicity.  'Twas  he  put  you  up  to 
this,  I'll  wager.  To  break  up  my  rendezvous. 
It  is  the  night  of  the  Palais  ball.  She  has  prom- 
ised me  every  quadrille.  Very  well !  We'll  fore- 
stall Monsieur  de  Braille !  If  I  must  be  at  Ver- 
sailles on  Friday  night,  she  shall  be  with  you  at 
Issy!" 

"  In  one  matter,  however,  Trevours,  be  pru- 
dent, please,"  Canardin  stipulated,  with  a  show 
of  embarrassment.  "  Promise  me  that  you  will 
not  inform  the  lady  who  I  am." 

"  Aha !  Armand !  "  Trevours  nudged  him. 
"  The  other  lady  might  hear  of  it,  eh?  " 

"  You  are  shrewd,  Trevours ! "  Canardin 
laughed.  "  It  might  annoy  my  fiancee,  Ce*cile— 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         91 

Ce"cile "  For  a  moment  Canardin  struggled 

to  remember  the  name. 

"  You  are  affianced !  "  Trevours  caught  him 
up.  "  To  Cecile  de  Grammont?  All  the  better, 
if  I  know  that  lady !  You  are  as  safe  as  a  church ! 
You  will  cherish  my  Julie  as  you  would  a 
daughter ! " 

"  Yes,"  sighed  Canardin.  "  I  suppose  that  will 
be  the  way  of  it." 

"  Now  one  condition  I  make  myself,"  said  Tre- 
vours. "  Morbihan  shall  not  be  of  your  party." 

"  I  am  content,"  Canardin  assented  cheerfully 
enough. 

"  In  any  company  soever  that  little  minx  Julie 
can  well  take  care  of  herself — as  you  will  quickly 
find,  my  dear  fellow!  Except  with  Morbihan, 
curse  him !  He  stops  at  nothing !  " 

"  Has  Morbihan,  also,  a  miniature? "  asked 
Canardin,  with  Lavallais's  own  simplicity. 

"  What?  Morbihan !  "  Trevours  laughed 
heartily.  "  Not  he,  my  dear  Armand.  Not  but 
that  he'd  sell  his  soul  to  own  one.  I,  Armand, 
have  the  only  one — as  there  is  only  one  Julie !  " 
He  laid  his  hat  across  his  heart.  "  Both,  both 
are  mine." 

As  the  Governor  of  Paris  clearly  had  much 
more  to  say  on  this  point,  Canardin  recalled  sud- 


92         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

denly  that  he  had  important  affairs  to  conclude 
elsewhere.  Especially  as  matters  had  now 
shaped  themselves,  almost  of  their  own  accord, 
so  nearly  to  his  liking.  The  point  and  hour  were 
duly  fixed  when  Mademoiselle  Lecoigneux  was  to 
be  committed  to  Canardin's  protection,  along 
with  the  guard  appointed  to  assist  him  in  the 
improbable  capture  of  himself  at  Issy.  And  so, 
as  it  now  seemed  to  Canardin  that  he  might 
await  the  course  of  events  with  a  certain  measure 
of  confidence,  he  left  Trevours  and  went  his  way. 
The  evening  and  the  night  of  Friday,  but  two 
days  hence,  promised  a  certain  prospect  of 
amusement. 

Even  the  two  days  intervening,  Canardin's 
wits  prompted  him,  were  subject  to  profitable 
employment.  It  might  be  more  than  merely  be- 
guiling to  have  an  eye  on  Lavallais  and  discover 
what  use  that  fellow  was  making,  not  so  much  of 
the  thousand  pistoles,  as  of  his  knowledge  and 
his  time.  The  amusements  of  the  ensuing  Fri- 
day might  exceed  even  Canardin's  anticipation, 
if  the  other  Lavallais  took  it  into  his  head  to  be 
also  at  the  party.  Which  is  precisely  what  oc- 
curred. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  true  and  only  Lavallais  presented  him- 
self at  the  Palais  rout  for  an  excellent  rea- 
son. It  was  the  wish  of  a  pretty  and  imperious 
lady. 

Thanks  to  funds  supplied  him  by  the  first  thief 
of  France,  this  votary  of  the  law  and  relentless 
enemy  of  his  benefactor  found  himself  hand- 
somely reclothed,  his  purse  replenished,  the  fatal 
debt  discharged,  and  the  prospects  of  his  happy 
and  highly  fortunate  marriage  restored.  The 
one  gift  that  Canardin  had  withheld  was  a  plau- 
sible story  of  how  all  this  had  fallen  about. 

The  more  Lavallais  thought  of  this,  the  more 
ardently  the  honest  fellow  cursed  his  poor  gifts 
as  a  liar  and  wished  he  had  taxed  Canardin  for 
this  final  boon.  However  greatly  Monsieur  La- 
vallais loved  a  certain  pair  of  large  blue  eyes, 
already  he  had  found  them  able  to  question 
sharply.  And  though  his  mind  raced  almost  as 
fast  as  his  lathered  nag,  the  very  turrets  to  C4- 
cile's  abode  seemed  to  accuse  him  as  he  ap- 
proached. 

Ce"cile  de  Grammont  dwelt  with  her  guardian 


94         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

uncle  in  perhaps  the  most  exquisitely  ordered  of 
the  smaller  chateaux,  near  Meaux,  pitched  on  a 
hillside  on  the  Paris  side  of  the  Marne  and  over- 
looking its  matchless  valley.  The  great  hall  of 
this  chateau  kept  its  memories  of  the  several  oc- 
casions when  no  less  a  person  than  Monsieur 
Moliere,  supported  by  his  troupe,  played  his 
merry  pieces  there.  The  place  was  the  scene  of 
constant  entertainment.  And  even  Monsieur 
Canardin  had  been  known  to  make  it  the  point  of 
one  of  his  informal  visits. 

Fancy,  therefore,  the  agitation  felt  by  Mon- 
sieur Lavallais  as  he  arrived,  thus  early  in  the 
afternoon,  at  the  dwelling  of  his  dear  lady !  How 
shall  he  sit  calmly  in  his  chair,  there  in  the  great 
hall  with  its  many  carven  seats,  its  tall  candles, 
its  walls  of  Gobelin  tapestries,  its  floors  velvet 
to  the  foot  with  the  richest  rugs  from  the  East ! 
With  pounding  heart  he  listens  for  the  first  inti- 
mations of  her  footsteps  on  the  stair.  And  then 
the  moment  when  she  enters ! 

Can  you  not  see  the  slim  figure,  in  the  mouse- 
gray  robe,  with  the  dainty  laces  at  her  wrists 
and  throat,  a  little  dimly  outlined  against  the 
tapestries  at  that  darker  end  of  the  room?  A 
bit  blinded  at  first,  Mademoiselle  Ce"cile  faces  the 
windows  to  see  who  it  is  has  come,  and  seeing, 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         95 

she  runs  on  the  tips  of  her  toes,  her  delicate  oval 
face  sharpening  in  feature  and  outline  as  it 
rushes  into  the  light.  The  saucy  lips  part  over 
the  whitest  of  teeth ;  the  dark  eyes  widen  in  sur- 
prise and  gladness ;  and  she  flies  into  his  arms. 

"  Armand !  Oh,  Armand,  it  is  you ! " 
Women's  weeping  is  seldom  logical,  and  it  is 
there,  at  the  very  beginning,  that  Cecile  tosses 
to  the  winds  Monsieur  Lavallais's  guide  and  com- 
pass. "  There,  there,  my  own,"  she  explains  after 
a  time.  "  It  is  because  I  am  so  glad — when  I 
thought  you  were  lost  to  me."  And  so  far  all  is 
well. 

It  would  be  such  a  pleasure  to  spangle  this 
poor  paper  with  all  the  pretty  words  she  used, 
the  catchings  of  her  breath,  her  little  gasps  of 
endearment.  Alas,  the  happy  cries  she  uttered 
are  not  to  be  caught  in  words.  It  must  do  to  say, 
in  this  cold  fashion,  that  a  little  French 
demoiselle,  who  loved  and  thought  her  lover  lost, 
had  found  him  again.  She  made  him  sit  down, 
she  crouched  at  his  feet,  and  listened  all  over 
again  to  the  story  of  his  devotion,  upon  which  he 
dwelt  again  and  yet  again. 

Nevertheless,  as  many  may  have  observed,  a 
woman's  curiosity  is  one  of  the  constant  forces 
of  Nature.  It  never  slumbers  for  long.  Hence 


96         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

it  was  that  after  a  time  Ce"cile  was  certain  to 
raise  those  questioning  eyes  of  hers  and  propose 
the  dread  question. 

"  Ah,  you  are  with  me  again,  Armand,  my  dear. 
But  tell  me,  how  did  you  do  it?  Such  a,  dreadful 
sum  of  money!  How  ever  did  you  raise  it  in 
time?  " 

For  answer  the  shivering  Lavallais  could  think 
of  nothing  better  than  to  draw  from  his  wallet 
the  magical  receipt  for  the  debt  and  wave  it  be- 
fore her  eyes  and  let  it  speak  for  itself.  It  was 
not  enough. 

"  Then  that  awful  ogre  is  paid !  Let  me  see. 
Yes,  it  is  true."  The  mischievous  Ce"cile  pressed 
the  slip  of  paper  to  her  heart.  "  Now  we  can  go 
to  uncle  together.  Come,  let  us  fly!  Armand, 
you  are  wonderful !  But  wait.  Tell  me.  How 
did  you  do  it?  And  in  just  six  days !  My  brave 
Armand!  Ah,  my  dear,  I  knew  you  could  and 
would.  For  me.  But  how  was  it  done?  It  must 
be  a  wondrous  tale." 

What  could  poor  Lavallais  do  but  make  a  wry 
face  and  as  wry  an  answer !  "  Indeed,"  he  fal- 
tered, truthfully  enough,  "  it  has  been  a  passing 
strange  adventure." 

Whether  it  was  the  beauties  of  Nature  at  that 
season  of  the  rear,  or  whether  it  was  need  of 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         97 

more  room  for  his  great  love,  that  drew  Laval- 
lais's  feet  to  the  tree-shaded  park,  need  set  no 
problem;  there  it  was  that  he  asked  Cecile  to 
walk  a  while  and  hear  yet  again  his  vows  of  de- 
votion. Long  and  sweetly  he  strung  it  out,  yet 
sweet  as  this  was  to  the  lady,  that  practical  turn 
to  her  nature,  which  Lavallais  never  had  re- 
spected more  than  now,  was  not  long  in  return- 
ing to  the  thousand  pistoles.  And  be  it  to  the 
credit  of  the  fellow,  he  told  her  the  truth,  and 
told  it  all, — especially  as  it  seemed,  though  he 
said  nothing  of  it  at  the  time,  that  she  had  a 
surprising  knowledge  already  of  what  had  be- 
fallen. 

"  I  suppose,"  he  faltered  at  the  end  of  it,  "  I 
should  never  have  gone  to  Canardin's  refuge  and 
got  the  money.  Still,  it  was  logical." 

"Ah,  yes,  you  should!  I'm  so  glad  that  you 
did !  "  cried  Ce~cile,  suddenly  disclosing  to  Laval- 
lais a  new  and  astonishing  logic  of  her  own, 
which  he  instantly  recognized  as  vastly  superior. 
"  The  money?  It  is  nothing  but  money !  We'll 
call  it  a  loan,  as  he  says.  At  the  proper  time  we 
can  easily  repay  it.  But  tell  me  more."  Still 
more  tightly  Mademoiselle  Ce"cile  clasped  the 
arm  of  Lavallais,  whose  relief  was  now  so  great. 
"  How  very,  very  droll,  his  leaving  you  nothing 


98         THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

to  put  on  but  his  own  clothing !  And  you  say  he 
is  so  cynical  toward  women!  And  this — this  is 
his  very  ring !  " 

She  toyed  with  the  odd  trinket  which  Lavallais 
had  placed  even  then,  incontinently,  upon  her 
finger.  "  To  think  that  you  have  actually  seen 
the  real  Canardin!  And  talked  with  him! 
What  is  he  like?  I  was  so  sorry  to  miss  him 
when  he  was  here  last  week." 

"  What !    Canardin— here  f  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Cecile  proudly.  "  Didn't  you 
know?  He  took  away  all  of  my  poor  Mama's 
ugly  old  brooches  and  rings.  But  he  left  me  in 
place  of  them  the  most  beautiful  cluster  of  wild 
orchids !  It  was  so  thoughtful  of  him.  Tell  me, 
Armand,  is  he  so  terrible?  Most  wonderful  of 
all,  you  were  the  means  of  saving  his  life !  You 
have  made  too  little  of  that  part,  my  dear.  Is  he 
really  so  amusing?  " 

"  I — I  rather  suspect,  my  own,  that  you  are 
just  a  bit  infatuated  with  Canardin." 

"  Jealous  boy !  I'm  in  love  with  Canardin,  of 
course!  Haven't  I  reason  to  be?  Because" — 
she  raised  her  beautiful  eyes,  so  trustful  and  so 
mischievous — "  he  has  given  you  back  to  me." 

So  they  threaded  the  paths  in  the  park,  while 
a  summer's  sun  set  upon  them  without  their 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE         99 

notice.  A  second  time  Lavallais  was  obliged  to 
give  his  account  of  Canardin's  entry  into  his 
lodging,  before  her  curiosity  was  appeased.  She 
demanded  the  most  particular  description  of  his 
air,  his  appearance.  She  laughed  more  merrily 
than  ever  at  a  second  round  of  quotations  from 
Canardin's  humorous  philosophy.  The  truth  is, 
though  Cecile  listened  most  attentively  during 
Armand's  recital,  she  was  busy  with  a  good  many 
thoughts  of  her  own  meanwhile,  as  she  disclosed 
a  moment  later. 

"  How  very  amusing ! "  she  exclaimed.  "  The 
great  thief  and  the  great  lawyer  lying  down  to- 
gether! Chums  for  a  night!  And  now  you  are 
to  take  up  the  chase  again ! "  Stooping  beside 
the  way,  C6cile  plucked  the  reddest  of  red  roses 
and  laid  it  to  her  lips,  unafraid  of  the  compari- 
son, and  not  forgetting  an  arch  look  at  Lavallais 
to  see  if  he  were  jealous  of  it.  "  Of  course  you 
will  catch  him,  Armand,  dear.  Do  you  know 
why?  For  the  same  reason  that  you  captured 
me." 

"  Only,  lie  will  be  the  more  easily  taken ! " 
Lavallais  fetched  out  rather  grimly. 

"  You  will  catch  him,"  Cecile  laughed  heartily. 
"  Because  you  have  a  strength  that  is  greater 
than  all  the  cleverness  and  daring  of  Canardin. 


100       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Do  you  know  what  it  is?  "  She  glanced  up  at 
him  archly.  "  It  is  your  patience.  It  is  terrible, 
that  patience.  You  used  to  make  me  fearfully 
angry,  do  you  know?  I  might  flirt  as  I  pleased, 
but  always  you  had  that  confidence  of  yours.  I 
gave  in  to  you  myself  because" — she  sighed — 
"I  saw  there  was  no  hope  for  me.  You  are 
modest  and  sweet,  Armand;  but  oh,  that  pa- 
tience of  yours !  Besides,  I  am  beginning  to  think 
you  have  something  else  in  your  favor." 

"  Oh,  certainly  I  shall  capture  Canardin," 
Lavallais  laughed  in  irony,  "  if  only  I  live  long 
enough,  and  if  only  he  will  consent  not  to  get 
himself  hanged  or  shot  in  the  meantime!  But 
what  is  the  something  else  I  have  in  my 
favor?  " 

"  Catch  him  you  will,  as  you  shall  see,  Ar- 
mand," thus  Ce"cile  ignored  his  open  bid  for  more 
flattery !  It  happens  that  Armand  was  not  pres- 
ent in  her  busy  thoughts  just  then.  "  But  to 
what  end  will  you  capture  him,  pray — that  man? 
Just  for  your  own  reputation,  your  own  advance- 
ment? Would  you  take  his  life  in  order  to  make 
yours?  After  what  he  has  done  for  you — and 
for  me?  Ah,  no,  you  are  not  so  base !  Armand, 
listen  to  me." 

Indeed  Armand  listened  with  interest,  and 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       101 

amusement  too,  to  this  airy  talk  of  Canardin's 
capture,  as  if  it  were  imminent  on  the  mor- 
row. 

Being  near  to  a  rustic  arbor  in  the  garden,  it- 
self near  the  chateau,  and  so  under  the  watchful 
eye  of  the  duenna  who  eternally  kept  C6cile  un- 
der a  gentle  oversight,  the  young  demoiselle 
seated  herself  and  drew  Lavallais  to  a  place  be- 
side her. 

"  Let  us  capture  him,  yes,"  she  was  saying — 
saying  very,  very  seriously  indeed.  "But  to 
what  end?  To  be  strung  up  on  the  gibbet?  To 
be  broken  on  the  wheel?  No !  No !  What  a  fate 
for  a  brain  so  clever,  a  heart  so  warm,  a  spirit  so 
daring ! " 

"  Dismiss  your  alarms,  my  dear  Ce"cile !  Your 
beloved  Canardin  is  in  no  need  of  your  tears ! " 
Lavallais  laughed  at  her.  "  You  speak  of  him 
as  if  he  were  only  a  fox,  to  be  caught  in  any  trap." 
Then,  seeing  the  hurt  in  her  eyes,  he  hastened  to 
say  more  seriously,  "  How  little  you  know  your 
Canardin!  Think  of  what  he  is!  Of  what  he 
has  done !  Truly,  my  dear  Ce"cile,  such  deeds  as 
his  must  not  go  unrebuked.  It  is  bad  for " 

"  One  moment,  Armand.  It  is  bad  for  France 
not  to  punish  such  misdeeds.  It  is  worse  for 
France  not  to  make  use  of  such  talents." 


102       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"A  pretty  philosophy,  surely!  If  only  femi- 
nine fancies " 

"  Yes,  I  know,  my  dear  Armand ;  but  wait  till 
you  have  heard  me !  He  is  a  man  of  brains,  you 
tell  me,  your  Monsieur  Canardin.  He  must  be, 
to  accomplish  what  he  does  in  the  face  of  such 
desperate  odds.  You  say  he  rails  at  our  society. 
That  is  not  because  he  is  truly  wicked.  What 
if  he  is  in  revolt  against  us !  It  is  because  of  a 
wounded  pride." 

"A  wise  little  head  you  have  on  your  shoul- 
ders, Ce"cile!  And  that  heart  does  you  credit. 
I  only  wish  I  could  be  so  sanguine.  But  that 
wild  revolt  in  Canardin — it  is  not  so  easily 
quelled." 

"You  forget,  Armand" — and  here  came  the 
arch  glance  again — "that  I  have  you  to  believe  in. 
And  perhaps  there's  something  else  besides." 

"  Ah,  yes ;  that '  something  else ! '  What  is  it, 
please?  " 

"  Armand ! "  As  part  of  the  feminine  accept- 
ance of  logic  it  was  essential  here  that  Ce"cile 
should  rest  her  mist  of  tawny  tresses  against 
Lavallais's  shoulder.  "Do  you  think  I  am 
charming?  Keally?  You've  said  so,  of  course. 
But" — she  looked  up,  blushes  and  all — "is  it 
true?  " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       103 

"Ce"cile!" 

"Yes,  but  is  it  true?" 

"  Of  course  it  is  true !    But  why  do  you  ask?  " 

"  Armand,  you — you  said  lie  was  unused  to  a 
woman's  wiles?  " 

"  Cecile !  You  little  know  what  you  say !  That 
wild  hawk?  It  is  unthinkable !  " 

"  I  am  not  so  sure." 

"  Cecile !  Have  you  conceived  a  silly  girl's 
wrong-headed  notion  of  that  man?  " 

"  No.  I  merely  love  him.  And  for  precisely 
the  reason  I  gave  you.  Because  he  gave  you 
back  to  me.  Everything  tells  me  your  Canardin 
is  a  man.  And  isn't  it  my  duty  to  help  you  catch 
him — in  my  own  way?  What  sort  of  wife  should 
I  be  to  you  otherwise? "  This  sounded  sus- 
piciously like  logic,  to  begin  with,  and  Cecile 
proceed  to  amplify  it.  As  might  be  expected  in 
her  case,  the  argument,  nevertheless,  opened  with 
the  word  "  Because." 

"  Because  I'll  tell  you,"  Cecile  now  began  in 
earnest,  with  still  more  blushes,  but  with  addi- 
tions to  her  years  and  her  wisdom  that  aston- 
ished Lavallais.  "  In  your  Canardin  I  recognize 
an  unmistakable  Frenchman.  In  no  great  while 
you  are  to  take  your  place  in  France,  and  I  am 
to  be  your  wife.  And  I  wonder  whether  we  shall 


104       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

be  better  friends  of  France  than  that  man  you 
are  pleased  to  call  a  wild  hawk !  I  know  how  I 
should  behave  if  I  had  brains  and  a  spirit  like  his. 
All  that  I  am  I  owe  to  France.  What  that  man 
is  he  owes  to  Nature  alone.  If  I  or  you  had  a 
spirit  like  his,  a  measure  of  courage,  a  breadth 

of  humor  like  his "     Cecile  let  the  lolling 

head  on  Lavallais's  shoulder  express  the  rest. 
"  Frenchmen  like  that  we  send  to  the  gallows ! 
We  drop  their  bodies  in  the  sewer !  To-morrow, 
or  very  soon,  they  will  catch  him.  To-day  Achille 
de  Morbihan  was  here,  along  with  De  Braille. 
Julie  also  is  with  me.  That,  of  course,  explains 
it!"  Cecile  laughed.  "  And  they  talked  of  that 
man  Canardin,  all  of  them,  as  if  he  were  a  par- 
tridge. A  bit  of  game.  A  pestilence,  a  plague, 
to  be  stamped  out.  A  fox  to  be  baited.  It  amazed 
me,  what  they  know  of  him.  And  very  soon  I 
learned  where  they  got  their  information.  Will 
you  believe  it,  Julie  had  it !  That  hoyden  cousin 
of  mine !  She  knows  everything ;  she  gets  every- 
where. The  fool  who  dares  to  affront  her  has  a 
dozen  rapiers  aimed  at  his  heart,  and  the  little 
minx  knows  it.  Her  pretty  ears  are  simply  hop- 
pers that  gather  every  bit  of  gossip  in  France. 
Long  before  you  got  here  with  that  miser's  re- 
ceipt, I  knew  from  her  that  you  had  it,  and 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       105 

whence  you  got  the  thousand  pistoles !  The  little 
mischief  is  as  clever  as  she  is  bloodthirsty.  It's 
merely  the  fashion,  according  to  her.  Every  one 
in  Paris  is  amusing  himself  by  pursuit  of  Can- 
ardin.  And  making  forty  other  Canardins  every 
hour !  "  Ce"cile  ended. 

"  H'm,  my  dear,"  Lavallais  reflected.  "  Only 
making  it  the  more  amusing  to  our  friend  Can- 
ardin,  I  should  say." 

"  For  the  time,  perhaps.  But  what  can  he  do 
against  France !  Funloving  France,  stalking  its 
best  brains!  Do  you  wonder  that  a  French- 
woman, like  myself,  is  indignant !  " 

What  Lavallais  did  not  wonder  at  was  that  a 
Frenchwoman  like  C6cile  should  be  a  bit  jealous 
of  another  Frenchwoman  like  Julie.  This  he 
kept  to  himself,  however,  and  said  instead,  "  Be- 
ing the  best  of  French  brains,  I  rather  fancy 
Canardin  may  be  trusted  to  take  care  of  him- 
self!" 

"Not  to  hear  that  little  Julie!  When  he's 
caught,  I  suppose  she'll  very  properly  shudder 
at  her  work.  Just  now  it's  no  more  to  her  than 
a  move  at  chess,  against  the  men.  Being  nine- 
teen, she  knows  no  better.  Being  clever,  she  can 
be  told  no  better.  And  to  play  with  such  fire  in 
the  France  you  and  I  know — the  France  outside 


106       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

of  Paris!  For  the  good  of  the  realm  that  man 
Canardin  must  be  '  captured '  in  a  different  fash- 
ion. Outside  of  Paris  he's  the  idol  of  the  coun- 
try. If  they  hang  that  man,  they'll  have  the 
other  half  of  France  to  hang  with  him!  Cap- 
tured, yes!  He  must  be!  And  who  but  you, 
Armand" — Ce"cile  looked  up  at  him — "are 
the  man  to  do  it,  you  who  know  him  so 
well." 

"  Just  like  that !  "  Lavallais  playfully  snapped 
his  fingers  at  this  easy  undertaking. 

C6cile  had  a  counter  for  him.  "  That's  how 
the  others  take  his  capture !  "  she  said.  "  Will 
you  let  them  beat  you?  Already  they  have  re- 
turned to  Paris.  Even  Julie  is  preparing  to  fol- 
low. Stay  with  me  a  while,  Armand ;  then " 

Ce"cile  now  bristled  up,  perhaps  the  most  practi- 
cal of  all  Canardin's  captors.  "  Then  off  you  go. 
To  find  him,  I'm  sure.  I  count  upon  you.  And 
to  be  ahead  of  them.  You  know  his  haunts  as 
well  as  they.  Or  better.  You  have  actually 
talked  with  him — as  not  one  of  them  has.  You 
will  do  something  with  him,  because  you  come  to 
him  on  a  better  errand.  It  is  a  game  between 
you!  And  think  of  the  stakes! — the  reward,  if 
you  return  that  man  to  France !  " 

The  excellence  of  this  philosophy  there  was  no 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       107 

gainsaying,  as  Lavallais  held  it  off  in  review — as 
philosophy. 

"  Your  supper  first,  of  course !  "  Ce*cile  encour- 
aged him — not  quite  successfully. 

With  or  without  supper,  the  reduction  of  that 
philosophy  to  fact  was  enough  to  put  a  wry  face 
on  any  man.  Whereupon  the  proud  beauty  took 
it  on  herself  to  quicken  her  Armand's  medita- 
tions. 

"Am  I  to  understand,  Monsieur  Lavallais,"  she 
said,  not  quite  playfully,  either,  "  that  your 
Ce"cile  alone  is  not  a  sufficient  reward  to  you?  " 

There  Lavallais  truly  started.  "  Cecile !  You 
mean  that  reward  is  to  be  reserved  until ?  " 

"  Since  you  have  furnished  me  with  the  idea, 
Monsieur,"  Cecile  laughed  wickedly,  "  let's  have 
it  so!" 

"  But,  my  own !  I  begrudge  you  nothing ! 
You  know  it !  At  least  cut  your  demands  down 
to  the  possible !  " 

"  Canardin's  capture  must  come  before  mine !  " 
she  plagued  him,  so  that  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  doubt  her.  Indeed,  there  is  no  knowing  how 
far  she  might  have  carried  her  cruelty,  but  for  an 
unexpected  diversion. 

"  Now  who's  baiting  a  clever  Frenchman ! " 
they  heard  an  even  more  merry  and  mischievous 


108       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

voice.  And  out  of  the  gathering  dusk,  from 
somewhere  on  the  lawn  about  them,  a  flying  fig- 
ure consisting,  as  it  approached,  chiefly  of  a  mass 
of  tossing  ringlets,  flung  itself  on  the  grass  at 
their  feet,  and  the  mocking  smile  of  Julie  Lecoig- 
neux  looked  them  over. 


CHAPTER  VI 

r  I  ^HE  mocking  laugh  ended  in  words  even 
•*•  more  mocking.  "And  what  reward  shall  I 
have,  dear  cousin,  if  I  bring  him  myself?  Let  us 
say  we  have  him  here  next  Saturday  morning. 
And  not  a  hair  missing  from  his  head.  Your 
darling  Canardin,  no  less." 

"  Hear  the  child !  She's  mad  on  the  subject !  " 
Cecile  laughed,  reaching  out  for  a  handful  of 
those  ringlets,  as  Julie  tossed  them  out  of  range. 
"At  least  she  pretends  to  be.  It's  only  to  plague 
Morbihan  and  De  Braille." 

"And  you ! "  Julie  added,  with  such  a  volume 
of  mysterious  laughter  as  proved  her  point. 
"  Come,  what  do  you  say,  Ce"cile?  Let's  have  it. 
What's  to  be  my  reward?  With  Canardin  here 
on  Saturday  next?  " 

"A  spanking,  whether  you  bring  him  or  not." 

Here  Lavallais  took  up  the  matter.  "  I'm  per- 
fectly willing  to  believe  her,"  he  said. 

Out  of  her  superior  knowledge  Julie  was  pre- 
pared to  laugh,  as  she  could  well  afford.  Laval- 
lais, however,  had  stopped  her.  "  Indeed,  my 


.110       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

friend,"  she  said  saucily.  "And  what,  pray,  do 
you  know?  " 

"  Nothing,"  said  Lavallais,  "  except  what  I 
have  gathered  from  Canardin."  And  there  it 
was  C6cile's  part  to  laugh  heartily. 

"  But  I'm  serious ! "  Julie  protested,  and  even 
spoke  it  seriously. 

"  I  can  well  believe  it,"  said  Lavallais.  "  My 
dear,"  he  turned  to  Ce"cile,  so  that  she  was  puz- 
zled by  his  own  sudden  mockery  of  seriousness, 
"  I  am  saved  after  all.  Canardin  will  be  here  on 
Saturday.  Does  it  matter  to  you  which  one  of  us 
brings  him?  " 

In  the  deepening  twilight  Cecile  studied  first 
one  of  their  faces,  and  then  the  other.  "  What 

have  you  two ?  "  she  began.  But  Lavallais 

the  lover  could  ill  endure  her  suspense,  and 
fetched  them  back  to  laughter. 

"  If  Canardin  learns  that  Julie  is  to  be  here,  he 
will  be  here  himself.  Of  his  own  accord." 

Julie  leaped  up  for  a  little  slap  at  his  cheek. 
"  You  horrid  thing !  "  she  complained,  but  soon 
was  dancing  a  mad  little  turn  before  them. 
"  Very  well,  if  you'll  have  it  so,  you  pair  of  coo- 
ing doves!  Just  for  your  benefit  I'll  have  a 
declaration  out  of  your  Canardin  before  it's  over ! 
To  satisfy  your  craving  for  delicate  sentiment! 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       111 

Though  I  fancy  my  cousin  " — she  tapped  CeeUe's 
cheek  this  time — "would  rather  have  that  for 
herself!  Who  knows?  It  may  be.  As  for  my 
part " — the  girl  turned  upon  them  a  little  fiercely 
— "  I'm  not  a  poor  lover  of  France  myself !  Not 
the  less  so  because  I  can't  quite  sentimentalize 
over  an  open  and  defiant  outlaw!  A  pretty 
France  we  shall  have  if  we  make  pets  of  such 
wild  despoilers!  There's  only  one  thing  in  his 
favor." 

The  capricious  thing  had  flung  herself  down  on 
the  turf  again  at  Cecile's  knees,  with  a  foolish 
laugh. 

"  He's — he's  so  awfully  clever ! "  she  fetched 
out. 

"  Just  what  I  say,  my  child !  "  CScile  caught 
up  the  point.  "  Quite  too  good  to  waste." 

"  He's  worth  one's  efforts !  " 

"  I'm  glad  you  admit  it,  my  dear !  " 

"  He's  led  me  one  chase !    But " 

"  But,  what?  " 

Julie  was  even  more  livened  now,  and  pointed 
at  Lavallais.  "  Tell  you  what,  Monsieur !  It's 
a  race  between  us !  I'll  wait  till  to-morrow.  And 
give  you  your  start  to-night.  Or  any  amount  of 
start."  Julie  broke  off  to  laugh  out  more  of  her 
merry  mystery.  "  It's  pathetic,  the  drakes  he 


112       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

has  made  of  you  men!  Trevours?  Oh,  la!" 
She  kissed  her  finger  tips  to  the  first  twinkling 
stars,  and  then  sobered  again,  so  far  as  she  was 
able.  "We  can  toss  for  his  soul  with  C6cile " 

"  When  we've  got  him,"  Lavallais  finished  for 
her.  "  It's  rather  wise  to  stipulate  that,"  he 
laughed  drily. 

"  Very  good !  What  will  you  wager  on  that?  " 
Julie  was  ready  for  him,  and  with  such  a  show  of 
confidence  as  freshly  alarmed  Ce"cile.  "  Out  of 
your  thousand  pistoles?  " 

What  Lavallais  would  have  wagered  against 
this  mischief  was  left  to  question,  for  a  lackey 
now  appeared  with  a  tray  of  chocolate,  which  at 
that  hour  they  found  very  grateful.  When  they 
had  drained  their  cups,  the  lackey  said : 

"  Monsieur  de  Grammont,  your  uncle,  Madem- 
oiselle, asks  me  to  remind  you  of  the  hour,  and 
of  the  dampness." 

"Thanks,  Etienne!  But  Armand!"  Ce"cile 
started  at  a  hot  drop  on  her  wrist. 

"  I'm  so  sorry !  "  said  Lavallais.  "  The  tray 
was  not  where  I  thought  it.  Did  I  scald  you?  " 
He  lifted  the  uninjured  wrist  to  kiss  it. 

"  Etienne !  You  will  be  more  careful,  please ! " 
Ce"cile  corrected  the  innocent  instead  of  the 
guilty.  "A  new  one  who  came  this  morning," 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE        113 

she  explained  as  the  lackey  moved  away.  "  But 
one  takes  whatever  comes,  at  this  distance  from 
Paris." 

"  One  does !  "  said  Lavallais. 

The  ladies,  however,  now  thought  of  the  hour, 
and  not  of  odd  tones  in  gentlemen's  voices,  and 
C6cile  and  Julie  set  off  for  the  chateau  without 
note  of  Lavallais's  remark. 

Other  servants  were  in  attendance  on  the  sup- 
per table,  and  whatever  it  was  that  Lavallais  had 
on  his  mind  he  suffered  to  rest  there, — even  as  he 
later  suffered  himself  to  be  later  dismissed  to 
Paris  in  one  of  the  De  Grammont  coaches.  Then 
it  was,  however,  that  a  certain  matter  returned 
to  his  mind,  not  to  be  dispelled  even  by  the  pros- 
pect of  his  first  real  appearance  in  the  circle  of 
the  Court,  in  Ce*cile's  company,  at  the  Palais 
Eoyal. 

The  undeniable  likeness  in  that  lackey's  voice ! 
The  original,  it  is  true,  he  had  heard  but  once ; 
but  it  was  a  voice  ever  afterward  to  be  unmistak- 
able. Could  it  be  that  Saturday  itself  was  too 
far  away  for ? 

"  Pshaw !  "  Lavallais  reflected  as  he  rode  away. 
"  Remarkable  man,  that  Canardin.  But  that  is 
too  much,  even  for  him ! " 


TV  /T 
•*•*-•- 


CHAPTER  VII 
,  it  is  because  I  am  an  enemy  to 


ennu. 

If  any  one  had  stopped  Canardin  as  lie 
mounted  the  stair  to  the  Palais  Eoyal  on  that 
Friday  night,  with  a  question  as  to  why  he  was 
risking  himself  to  the  open  scrutiny  of  those  who 
most  ardently  of  all  craved  a  grip  at  his  neck, 
that,  in  all  probability,  would  have  been  his  an- 
swer. 

A  merely  clever  man  in  Canardin's  shoes  would 
have  clung  like  a  leech  to  a  disguise  already 
proved  effective,  and  so  would  have  passed  as  Ar- 
mand  de  Lavallais.  A  very  clever  man  would 
have  remained  away.  As  nothing  mattered  to 
Canardin  except  amusement  and  adventure,  and 
as  a  certain  acquaintance  with  adventure  had 
taught  him  his  powers,  this  opportunity  was  irre- 
sistible. Whether  or  not  he  was  clever  by  birth, 
more  than  one  awkward  surprise  in  the  past  had 
taught  him  cleverness.  And  so,  to  give  himself 
the  proper  latitude  for  his  purpose,  on  entering 
the  Palais  he  gave  to  the  major-domo  the  name  of 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       115 

the  Sieur  Marcel  de  Brisac,  Comte  de  Stras- 
bourg. 

This  was  a  happy  thought  at  the  start.  Once 
the  proud  name  he  gave  was  whispered  about, 
Canardin  became  instantly  the  object  of  admir- 
ing attention  as  a  distinguished  visitor  from  the 
important  new  province.  Dozens  placed  them- 
selves in  the  way  of  an  introduction  to  this  Comte 
de  Brisac,  and  gleaned  the  more  marvelous  infor- 
mation about  Alsace  because  Canardin  himself 
possessed  none  whatever  about  that  region.  So 
long  as  he  was  careful  to  avoid  a  too  close  contact 
with  De  Braille,  not  forgetting  De  Morbihan, 
Canardin  was  reasonably  secure  for  a  time.  And 
his  stay,  in  any  case,  was  to  be  shortened  by  the 
fantastic  errand  to  Issy. 

A  band  of  music  played  rondeaux,  sarabandes, 
minuets,  gavot':es  by  Lully  and  Kameau,  and 
much  to  the  elation  of  the  dancers  the  illustrious 
Lully  himself  led  the  players.  Countless  others 
of  note  were  there, — painters,  poets,  dramatists, 
statesmen,  great  beauties,  great  gallants,  great 
fops. 

"At  last,"  said  Canardin  to  himself,  "I  am 
among  my  peers !  And  this  is  the  proud  world, 
Canardin,  that  has  been  beating  you  into  rebel- 
lion! Pah,  the  lash  only  stings  when  it  falls 


116       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

from,  the  hand  of  a  superior !  Every  third  man 
of  them  here  is  your  like,  except  that  he  is  able 
to  keep  a  straight  face ! "  And  in  this  spirit  he 
put  on  his  haughtiest  air  and  strode  into  the 
midst  of  the  business,  minded  to  make  play  and 
have  it  amuse  him. 

Which  it  did  from  the  start.  The  Palais  itself 
was  a  glitter  of  crystal  lights  and  was  every- 
where gilded  and  gorgeous, — and  nowhere  shone 
more  blatantly  than  in  its  contradictions.  On 
the  walls  blazed  the  brains  of  the  greatest  of 
painters, — and  the  painted  chairs  threatened  col- 
lapse at  the  weight  of  a  child.  The  useless  was 
one  with  the  grand,  so  long  as  both  served  the 
worship  of  what  was  refined.  As  with  the  fur- 
nishings, so  with  the  persons  and  what  they  said. 
It  suited  Canardin's  mood  to  a  nicety.  Every- 
thing suited  his  mood,  excepting  one  thing. 

A  certain  mocking  smile,  which  even  yet  he  had 
seen  only  in  fleeting  and  indistinct  flashes,  was 
yet  to  be  found,  though  now  for  half  an  hour  he 
had  moved  through  the  crowd  in  search  of  it. 
Here,  seeing  a  minuet  forming  in  the  grand 
salon,  he  promptly  cast  about  for  a  vis-a-vis,  not 
so  much  for  the  dance  as  to  pick  up  useful  infor- 
mation. Especially  as  his  own  instincts  taught 
him  that  the  mocking  smile,  because  it  was 


mocking,  was  probably  playing  a  game  with, 
him. 

On  the  instant  that  Canardin  led  into  the 
dance  the  lady  of  his  selection,  he  found  the  qual- 
ity of  his  entertainment  improving.  Twice  be- 
fore then,  he  recalled,  her  train  had  been  swept 
under  his  feet,  as  if  trailed  there  deliberately. 
Her  face,  now  that  he  caught  it  in  full,  under  a 
chandelier,  gave  him  a  start  for  its  likeness  to  a 
certain  other.  The  likeness  of  a  twin,  at  least,  if 
not  of  an  original. 

"  Madame  la  Marquise,"  said  Canardin,  as  he 
danced,  for  he  was  never  lacking  in  talk,  "  it  is 
the  sorrow  of  my  life  that  I  should  be  better  ac- 
quainted with  your  portraits  than  I  am  with 
yourself ! " 

"  Monsieur !  "  she  answered,  with  the  merriest 
light  in  her  eyes.  "And  just  when  I  thought  you 
a  stranger  to  Paris — on  the  evidence  of  your 
steps." 

"  I  am  a  stranger  to  flattery,  Madame — as  you 
are  a  stranger  to  charity.  As  for  my  steps,  any 
man  is  a  stranger  to  the  dance  who  is  so  peril- 
ously close  to  forty." 

"Be  of  good  cheer,  Monsieur.  Every  day  is 
taking  you  farther  from  forty,"  said  the  lady,  so 
that  Canardin  gave  a  look  at  the  saucy  Tartar  he 


118       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

had  caught.  Whereupon  she  laughed  gayly,  to 
blunt  the  edge  of  her  wit,  and  suddenly  each, 
without  the  aid  of  a  portrait,  recognized  a  jolly 
rogue  in  the  other,  and  both  were  well  along  in 
their  postponed  acquaintance. 

"  By  the  way,  Monsieur,"  said  the  lady,  "  let 
me  shorten  your  exertions  in  gallantry.  I  am 
not  a  Marquise,  except  twice  weekly,  and  then 
only  in  play.  It  is  all  I  can  stand  of  it." 

"  I  am  sure  any  Marquise  could  endure  to  be 
you,"  said  Canardin. 

"  Come,"  said  she,  "  let  us  leave  this  nonsense. 
Especially  as  you  do  it  so  badly.  That  is  proof 
alone  that  you  must  be  somebody." 

As  soon  as  the  dance  was  ended  she  led  him 
away  to  the  end  of  the  long  room.  "  Now  that  I 
have  told  you  who  I  am,"  she  said  to  Canardin, 
as  he  found  chairs  for  them  both,  "  perhaps  you'll 
return  the  favor." 

"And  in  the  same  manner,"  said  Canardin.  "  I 
too  am  playing  a  part." 

With  the  air  of  a  queen  the  lady  swept  a  lovely 
arm  toward  the  room  and  said, "  It  is  so  very  com- 
mon !  When  I  thought  you  some  one  out  of  the 
ordinary ! " 

"  No.  That  is  the  sorrow  of  my  life,"  said  Can- 
ardin, "  that  I  am  ordinary." 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       119 

"Then  you  have  a  vaulting  ambition,  Mon- 
sieur ! " 

"  Yes,"  said  Canardin,  in  the  familiar  dry  tone, 
"  it  keeps  me  vaulting." 

" '  It,'  or  she?  "  the  lady  laughed. 

"  She?  There  is  no  she.  Perhaps  that  is  an- 
other of  my  sorrows.  At  times,  Madame,  I  am 
bound  to  admit  that  there  are  other  pleasures 
than  toiling  for  France." 

"  Come,  Monsieur,"  said  she,  "  aren't  you  a  bit 
of  a  humbug?  Would  it  annoy  you  if  I  said  I 
know  who  you  are?  And  that  I  can  guess  why 
you  are  here? "  Then  she  mocked  him:  " It  is 
the  sorrow  of  my  life  that  I  should  be  better  ac- 
quainted with  your  report  than  I  am  with  you." 

For  a  moment  Canardin  studied  in  vain  which 
name  he  should  give  to  disabuse  her,  De  Brisac 
or  Lavallais.  "  It  is  good  of  you  to  mistake  me 
for  some  one  of  importance,"  he  said,  to  gain 
time. 

"Come!  Don't  be  stupid  for  once  in  your 
life,"  the  lady  said,  and  whispered  in  his  ear, 
"  Monsieur  Canardin ! " 

With  habitual  iron  mastery  of  himself,  Can- 
ardin gave  no  sign  of  the  violent  inward  start 
that  took  him.  His  gaze  slowly  turned  upon  the 
woman,  to  read  her. 


120       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Had  it  come  then,  at  last  but  so  soon, — the 
false  move,  the  one  fatal  step,  that  ultimate  cer- 
tainty which  always  threw  a  shadow  over  his 
lightest  moments?  His  fate  at  last  in  the  uncer- 
tain hands  of  a  woman,  the  only  foe  entitled  to 
his  respect? 

It  suited  the  lady  to  hold  Canardin  in  suspense 
for  a  time.  Meanwhile  he  shot  a  lightning  stare 
of  scrutiny  from  one  to  another  of  the  people 
about.  And  found  them  serenely  occupied  in  the 
neatness  of  a  bow,  the  effect  of  a  ravishing  glance. 
Not  one  of  them  troubled  to  turn  and  run  him 
through. 

Canardin  concluded  that  he  was  not  yet  dead. 
"  Madame,"  said  he,  "  it  is  kind  of  you  to  mistake 
me  for  a  person  of  such  celebrity.  But  you  drive 
me  to  a  disclosure  that  I  ought  in  decency  to 
keep  to  myself.  I  too  have  devoted  myself  to 
adjusting  a  few  of  the  inequalities  in  our  perfect 
world.  I  am  in  Paris  to  present  to  the  King's 
Council  the  interests  of  a  great  lady  of  my  prov- 
ince— Madame  de  Longlen — who  has  suffered  a 
cruel  wrong  at  the  hands  of  her  husband.  It  is 
nothing  to  brag  of,  however." 

"  It  is  not,"  the  sweet  lady  agreed.  "  I  have 
heard  of  the  case.  It  was  talked  of  much— and 
settled  last  month.  And  the  lady's  name,  by  the 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       121 

way,  was  De  Kinglin — not  wholly  unknown  in 
your  province,  Monsieur."  And  she  laughed. 

So  did  Canardin  laugh,  with  mischief  of  his 
own.  "Are  there — two  of  you  here — who  know?  " 
he  asked  resignedly. 

"Your  sum  is  correct  for  the  present,  Mon- 
sieur Canardin.  But  heaven  knows  how  quickly 
the  number  will  multiply,  if  you  linger  so  much 
as  an  hour !  Come,  Monsieur !  "  the  lady  rallied 
him  in  confidential  tones,  and  in  a  voice  of  such 
quality  as  gave  Canardin  to  wonder  if  he  truly 
need  look  much  farther  for  the  spice  to  life  he 
was  after.  "  We  are  not  all  like  Monsieur  Tre- 
vours.  Do  you  hold  all  our  wits  as  cheaply  as 
his? "  She  tapped  his  arm  with  her  fan  of 
plumes,  then  spread  it  to  shield  the  heartiest 
laugh  at  his  expense.  "That  was  droll,  Mon- 
sieur ;  that  was  priceless !  Julie  will  thank  you 
for  that!" 

"  I  rather  counted  on  Trevours's  telling  her," 
said  Canardin  sadly.  "  I  made  the  matter  so 
secret." 

"  It  is  as  you  say,  Monsieur  Canardin,"  the 
lady  laughed  on  at  him.  "You  have  devoted 
your  life  to  the  service  of  others.  There  are  sev- 
eral besides  Julie  Lecoigneux  who  will  thank 
you  for  getting  that  great  bear  Trevours  out 


122       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

of  the  way!  Monsieur  de  Braille,  for  in- 
stance." 

Canardin  obligingly  let  himself  into  her  trap. 
"At  times,  Madame,"  he  said,  "  I  fear  I  am  weak 
and  selfish.  But  it  was  really  to  have  Trevours 
out  of  De  Braille's  way  that  I  sent  him  posting 
off  to  Versailles." 

With  that  the  lady  disclosed  that  she  was  no 
great  enemy  to  Canardin.  "I  wonder,  Mon- 
sieur ! "  she  exclaimed  earnestly.  "  There  are 
prizes  withheld  from  even  your  audacity! 
Surely  you  yourself  have  no  hope " 

Canardin  looked  at  her  keenly,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment baffled  her  as  to  his  designs.  "  Madame," 
he  said,  "  you  flatter  that  audacity  of  mine.  And 
there  is  something  you  forget.  If  I  am  the  man 
you  take  me  to  be,  I  happen  to  be  the  one  man  in 
the  world  to  enjoy  the  honor  of  Mademoiselle 
Julie's  actual  pursuit.  What  a  blackguard  I 
should  be  to  disappoint  her ! " 

"Julie  Lecoigneux  will  not  be  disappointed, 
Monsieur!  There's  a  dangerous  wit  in  that 
young  woman ! " 

"  But  at  least  you  will  grant  me,  Madame,  a 
fight  for  my  life?  "  Canardin  laughed. 

Not  so  the  lady.  "What,  here,  Monsieur!" 
she  said  in  genuine  alarm.  "  In  not  twenty  min- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       123 

utes  this  company  will  know  to  a  unit  who  you 
are !  Not  but  that  half  of  them  would  welcome 
your  discovery  as  a  priceless  break  to  their  bore- 
dom! Is  it  possible  they  do  not  know  of  you, 
speak  of  you?  Well !  A  mysterious  stranger  is 
here,  a  striking  figure.  Will  there  not  be  suspi- 
cion, even  hope,  that  it  is  you?  It  would  be  so 
like  that  Canardin!  And  do  you  fancy  there  is 
any  cover  for  that  bold  bearing  of  yours?  No, 
Monsieur.  For  once  I  must  play  the  traitor— 
and  that  to  my  dearest  friend — and  get  you  away 
from  here ! " 

"  Madame,"  said  Canardin  in  the  greatest  good 
nature,  but  drily,  "  were  I  Canardin,  you  would 
flatter  me  off  to  the  gallows.  Many  thanks  for 
your  goodness,  but  it  seems  to  me  safer  to  stay  on 
and  earn  your  enmity,  if  your  friendship  costs  so 
dear." 

"  Monsieur !  "  said  the  lady  freezingly. 

"  I  would  add,  by  the  way,  that  Mademoiselle 
Lecoigneux,  and  your  description  of  her  wit,  are 
separated  by  the  width  of  her  tendency  to  talka- 
tiveness." 

"Monsieur!"  The  lady  now  passed  from 
freezing  to  heat.  "  I  am  hurt,  and  not  for  myself 
alone.  Mademoiselle  and  myself  are  inseparable. 
Nothing  is  withheld  between  us.  Perhaps  I 


124       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

should  say  that  our  one  point  of  difference  is 
Canardin — whether  he  should  be  hanged  or  be 
pensioned ! " 

"  And  you  are  for ?  " 

"  Monsieur,  if  you  knew  who  I  am,  you  would 
not  ask  such  a  question.  Or  question  my  friend- 
ship. You  and  I  share  a  common  contempt  for 
this  comedy."  Her  fan  swept  the  room.  "  But 
I  suppose  everything  is  to  be  forgiven  to  one  from 

the  provinces.  Paris  knows  me  as Come !  " 

she  broke  off  abruptly.  "  I  need  the  air.  Take 
me  out  on  the  gallery." 

All  eyes  followed  the  striking  pair,  as  Can- 
ardin assisted  Mademoiselle  out  of  her  chair 
and  led  her  away  on  his  arm.  As  it  was 
still  in  early  autumn,  the  tropical  plants  had  not 
yet  been  removed  from  the  open  court  within  the 
Palais,  and  exotic  odors  rose  from  them,  mois- 
tened by  mist  from  the  fountain  in  the  center. 
Saunterers  threaded  the  paths,  more  concerned, 
however,  with  the  blooming  youth  on  their  arms 
than  with  the  less  gorgeous  blooms  on  the  plants 
about  them.  For  a  little  while  Canardin  and  his 
lady  leaned  over  the  beautifully  wrought  and 
scrolled  iron  railing  to  the  gallery,  and  watched 
them.  A  few  were  already  seated  at  tables,  ac- 
cepting partridge,  ices  and  wines  fetched  by  the 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       125 

lackeys.  One  of  these  lackeys,  after  glancing  up 
at  the  gallery,  lifted  a  glass  and  set  it  down 
again,  at  the  same  moment  that  Canardin 
twirled  his  moustache. 

"  As  you  are  in  the  best  of  health,"  Canardin 
remarked  at  last,  "  and  have  little  other  need  of 
the  breezes,  I  take  it  you  also  saw  Morbihan  ap- 
proaching in  there." 

"And  in  his  cups !  Let  me  tell  you,  Monsieur 
Canardin,  when  that  man,  having  failed  in  a  cer- 
tain quest,  returns  to  the  gaming  tables,  it  will 
be  seasonable  for  you  to  leave !  " 

"And  disappoint  Mademoiselle  Julie?  In 
case  she  is  not  you?  Impossible !  " 

"As  to  that,  Monsieur  Canardin,  Julie  Lecoig- 
neux  has  only  to  bide  her  time !  And  I  give  you 
my  word,  she  is  a  very  determined  young  woman. 
See  here ! "  The  lady  straightened  from  her 
leaning  posture  and  stood  facing  him.  Under 
the  glow  from  the  lighted  windows  about  the 
court,  Canardin  watched  a  face  merry  and 
piquant  become  pale  and  serious.  "  Leave  fool- 
ing aside,  Monsieur.  Please  see  where  you  stand. 
One  may  carry  a  lark  too  far.  And  I  have  heard 
you  set  down  as  a  gentleman.  You  are  in 
the  gravest  possible  danger  yourself,  and  you 
menace  others.  Even  if  you  have  the  least  pos- 


126       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

sible  love  for  your  own  life,  remember  them.  If 
you  disclose  yourself  here,  or  let  yourself  be 
found,  think  of  the  scene  that  would  follow !  The 
uproar!  The  party  itself  might  be  broken  up. 
The  worse  for  you — as  well  as  distressing  to 
others.  For  all  her  mad  pranks,  Julie  Lecoig- 
neux  has  a  position  at  Court,  remember,  and  a 
dignity  to  be  sustained." 

"  I  see,"  said  Canardin  gravely.  "  By  that  you 
mean  that  I  cannot  allow  myself  to  be  taken  at  a 
time  so  inconvenient  to  Mademoiselle  Lecoig- 
neux ! " 

The  lady  burst  forth  into  laughter  again.  "  It 
could  not  have  been  put  better,  Monsieur  Can- 
ardin !  You  have  amply  confirmed  my  estimate 
of  your  character." 

"  But  what  must  be  your  estimate  of  my  wits ! 
My  own  reading  of  the  situation  is  otherwise.  It 
would  scarcely  be  etiquette,  you  say,  to  take  me 
here.  Then  I  know  of  no  safer  place  for  me. 
Let  us  go  in."  He  reached  for  her  arm. 

She  came  closer.  "  Leave  fooling  aside,  I  beg 
of  you !  Can  you  make  the  leap  to  the  court  be- 
low without  hurt?  At  the  window  behind  you 
stands  the  Due  de  Morbihan,  watching  us !  " 

"  Pah !  He  sees  four  of  us,  I'll  wager.  And 
what  he  wants  is  a  t£te-a-t£te.  Let  him  wait. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       127 

By  the  way,  I  could  stand  it,  myself,  to  see  at 
least  two  of  you,  Mademoiselle.  Even  though 
one  would  be  saddened  by  the  thought  that  it 
could  be  only  an  optical  illusion.  Certainly  Na- 
ture has  not  fashioned  two " 

"  Peace,  man !  Morbihan  has  left  the  window ! 
He  is  coming  out !  There — in  the  doorway — be- 
hind the  curtain — he  stands !  " 

"  Be  attentive  to  me !  "  Canardin  said,  in  a  low 
voice.  Louder,  quite  audibly,  he  opened,  "  I  paid 
a  visit  to  my  friend  and  colleague  Jean  de  Braille 
this  morning.  As  no  one  else  seems  able  to  stop 
this  Canardin,  it  seemed  my  imperative  duty  to 
take  a  hand  in  ending  the  scandal.  Did  De 
Braille,  I  wonder,  convey  anything  to  Mademoi- 
selle Lecoigneux?  " 

"  Only  all  that  he  knew !    As  usual !  " 

"Yes,  but  special  and  priceless  information 
concerning ?  " 

"  You  mean  something  said  by  a  simpleton  no- 
tary, a  Monsieur — Monsieur " 

"  Armand  de  Lavallais?  " 

"  That  was  the  name.  I  believe  he  made  the 
most  absurd  and  outlandish  pretensions " 

"To  catching  Canardin, — precisely."  Can- 
ardin looked  over  his  shoulder  now.  "  You  see, 
he  is  gone.  When  a  pretty  woman  is  near,  any 


128       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

man  is  safe  from  Morbihan.  One  loveliest,  wisest, 
wittiest  woman  in  especial !  I  fancy,  Mademoi- 
selle, whatever  the  condition  of  his  eyesight,  he 
took  you  to  be — as  /  do — Julie  Lecoigneux." 

"  Monsieur !  "  She  drew  back  with  a  little 
start.  Then  laughed  lightly. 

"  I  rather  thought,  Mademoiselle  Lecoigneux," 
Canardin  went  on,  "  that  you  were  arguing  for 
your  own  comfort,  when  you  wanted  Canardin 
out  of  the  way — even  over  the  railing,  if  need  be. 
But  I  happen  to  be  only  Armand  de  Laval- 
lais." 

"  Monsieur,"  the  young  lady  said,  recovering  a 
little.  "  I  thought  we  had  disposed  of  that  little 
jest." 

"  My  pretensions,  it  is  true,  Mademoiselle,  may 
be  absurd  and  outlandish.  But  so  long  as  they 
give  me  a  community  of  interest  with  you " 

"  Monsieur !     Eecall  yourself !  " 

"I  am  speaking  of  a  professional  interest, 
Mademoiselle.  Perhaps  it  would  seem  less  out- 
landish if  I  showed  you  " — Canardin  made  mo- 
tion of  reaching  into  an  inner  pocket — "  a  lettre 
de  cachet  made  out  in  my  name,  and  handed  to 
me  only  this  evening." 

Again  Mademoiselle  drew  back  with  an  excla- 
mation. But  whether  the  exclamation  was  for 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       129 

Lavallais's  importance  or  Canardin's  audacity, 
Canardin  was  unable  to  tell. 

"  It  came  to  me  through  De  Braille's  influ- 
ence," he  continued,  watching  her  narrowly. 
"What  a  wonderful  fellow  that  De  Braille  is! 
I  am  sure  you  have  observed  it." 

Having  done  Lavallais  one  good  turn  in  the 
morning,  Canardin  was  perfectly  ready  to  end 
the  day  with  another  good  lick  in  favor  of  De 
Braille.  But  Mademoiselle  was  not  the  com- 
plaisant De  Braille.  All  excitement  now,  and 
watching  him  closely,  she  said,  "  Let  us  go  in !" 
and  caught  at  his  arm. 

"  Mademoiselle  has  no  further  need  of  air?  " 

"  Of  information,  rather !  "  she  laughed  nerv- 
ously. When  they  had  got  back  among  the 
throng,  where  the  numbers  were  dense  enough  to 
screen  the  tumult  of  doubt  and  uncertainty  he 
had  stirred  in  her  mind,  she  said,  on  a  sudden 
thought,  "Now,  tell  me  about  Ce"cile.  Ce"cile 
first !  De  Braille  will  keep.  Pour  it  out  to  the 
very  uttermost.  How  is  the  dear  girl?  What 
have  you  to  say  of  her?  " 

Canardin  paid  that  young  woman,  whoever  she 
was,  the  tribute  of  one  swift,  wry  gaze.  Then  he 
covered  his  amusement,  his  embarrassment,  and 
his  mute  admiration  of  her  wit  in  a  long,  low 


130       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

bow.  In  the  short  course  of  that  bow  he  had 
time  to  think  to  himself,  "  Curse  you,  Canardin, 
for  never  having  made  the  acquaintance  of  that 
fiancee  of  yours ! "  Aloud,  and  even  while  think- 
ing of  that,  he  said,  "  Mademoiselle,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  praise  one  lovely  lady — in  the  presence  of 
another."  He  then  wished  the  house  might 
catch  fire,  or  something.  In  Mademoiselle's  eyes 
was  a  light  more  than  a  trifle  too  bright  for  him. 
Canardin  seized  the  readiest  moment  to  take  his 
leave.  To  Canardin  the  temperature  of  the  place 
appeared  to  be  rising.  Himself  in  need  of  a  little 
air,  he  stepped  out  on  the  gallery  again,  a  quieter 
place  for  observation. 

"So  that  is  Julie  Lecoigneux!"  he  sighed. 
And  would  have  sighed  more,  but  that  he  now 
caught  sight  of  something  else  to  pique  his  curi- 
osity. In  the  salon,  near  the  window,  De  Braille 
was  standing  in  company  with  the  Due  de  Mor- 
bihan.  The  Due  was  pointing,  somewhat  un- 
steadily, to  the  door  to  the  gallery;  both  were 
talking  excitedly. 

Canardin  lingered  only  long  enough  in  the 
gallery  to  await  the  appearance  of  a  particular 
lackey.  "  Curse  the  laggard  fool,  where  is  he?  " 
Canardin  growled.  But  in  a  moment  the  fel- 
low appeared,  and  after  some  difficulty  Canardin 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       131 

managed  an  exchange  of  the  same  sign.  "I'll 
slit  that  idiot  lackey's  throat  if  he's  drunk 
again,"  the  master  snapped,  and  then  hastened 
within. 


CHAPTER  VHI 

VEXED  by  the  slight  inharmony  between 
himself  and  the  lackey,  Canardin  turned 
impatiently  back  to  the  crowded  room  for  a  word 
with  De  Braille.  A  man  of  Canardin's  temper 
may  toy  with  subtlety  on  occasion;  when  any- 
thing awkward  impends,  he  boldly  demands  to 
know  what  it  is.  Thus  boldly  headed  toward  De 
Braille,  even  though  Morbihan  himself  were  by, 
Canardin  entered  the  great  hall  again  in  time  to 
witness  the  close  of  an  apparent  "  scene  ",  which 
he  instantly  saw  had  to  do  with  himself.  The 
occupants  of  the  entire  room  had  stopped  what- 
ever had  been  their  exercise  of  the  moment  before 
and  stood  rooted,  astonishment  on  every  face, 
and  every  face  turned  toward  Canardin.  Evi- 
dently something  of  a  sensational  nature  had 
been  said  concerning  himself.  The  temperature 
of  the  room  was  rising  higher  for  Canardin !  De 
Braille  and  the  Due  de  Morbihan  were  not  to  be 
seen,  but  in  a  moment  the  meaning  of  this  im- 
promptu tableau  was  plain.  From  the  depths  of 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       133 

the  crowd,  transfixed  in  silence,  came  sounds  of 
a  scuffle,  and  then  De  Braille's  voice. 

"  Morbihan !  Achille !  I  beg  of  you !  It  can't 
be  he !  Come  away.  Take  the  air  and  recover. 
You  are  mad.  There  are  things  which  even  the 
Due  de  Morbihan  may  not  say.  Not  here." 

"  I  t-tell  you  I  kii-know! "  came  Morbihan's 
thick  and  guttural  reply.  "  It's  he !  D-do  you 
shuppose  I  c-can't  shee  with  m'own  eyes?  I'll  re- 
port this  th-thing  to  the  K-King  himself !  " 

"  Think  where  you  are,  Morbihan !  Another 
time,  another  place." 

"  Wh-what !    And  let  that  d-dog  escape !  " 

"  Think  where  you  are,  man !  This  will  out- 
rage our  host!  Your  suspicions  are  silly! 
Base!" 

"B-base?  He's  here,  my  li'l  pink  Jean! 
Base?  Th-that  calls  for  an  accounting.  T-to- 
morrow  at  three,  at  F-Fontainebleau !  You 
h-hear  me?  An'  if  I  get  n-near  that  fellow  to- 
night, I'll— I'll  run  him  through!  Or  I'm  a 
d-dog  myself ! " 

A  door  closed  upon  the  altercation.  Gradu- 
ally the  tableau  dissolved.  By  some  one's  quick 
order  the  viols  struck  up  again.  A  few,  the 
younger  of  the  party,  renewed  their  dancing. 
Others  fell  into  furtive  chatter.  But  however 


134       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

rigid  attitudes  unbent,  an  ominous  stiffness  re- 
mained. Such  things  are  not  forgotten.  They 
spread  like  a  vapor.  Whether  Canardin's  name 
had  been  actually  mentioned,  he  was  unable  to 
guess.  He  finally  decided  that  it  had.  For 
though  he  turned  on  his  heel  with  entire  uncon- 
cern, he  everywhere  encountered  an  air  of  con- 
straint. Men  stared  at  him;  the  women  deftly 
drew  away.  Whoever  he  was,  it  was  sufficient 
that  he  was  a  figure  disapproved  by  the  Due  de 
Morbihan. 

Any  newcomer,  with  the  cleanest  of  hands, 
who  enters  a  brilliant  company  totally  unknown, 
will  have  his  embarrassments.  Canardin,  rub- 
bing elbows  with  any  number  of  those  who,  at  the 
instant  of  recognition,  would  pounce  or  shout  an 
alarm,  was  hardly  so  happy  as  he  sometimes  was 
at  two  in  the  morning,  correcting  those  evils 
which  usurers  inflict  upon  a  helpless  society! 
He  glanced  toward  the  chair  where  he  had  left 
the  disappointing  Julie  Lecoigneux,  the  object  of 
his  visit,  the  excuse  for  his  intrusion.  She  was 
gone.  Even  she  had  deserted  him. 

Coolly,  with  his  head  high,  and  the  air  of  a 
man  burdened  with  matters  that  take  one  far  out 
of  all  this  frivolity,  Canardin  moved  out  on  the 
gallery  again.  For  some  minutes  he  waited  in 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       135 

vain,  and  then,  for  a  second,  reeled  at  a  shock. 
Not  one  lackey  but  two  finally  appeared  among 
the  crowd  in  the  court,  looked  up  at  him,  and  ex- 
changed with  him  the  identical  sign.  Something 
had  gone  wrong. 

Almost,  and  in  precisely  one  hour,  Julie's 
warning  had  come  true.  Back  in  the  brilliantly 
peopled  room  he  was  noticed  only  to  be  avoided. 
The  train  of  many  a  robe  of  scarlet,  lavender, 
rose  or  gold  he  saw,  but  rarely  its  jeweled  cor- 
sage! The  men  felt  for  their  blades  or  their 
pockets  as  he  passed.  At  such  a  time  a  Canardin 
does  something. 

Stalking  by  the  row  of  chairs  at  the  border  of 
the  room,  each  turning  upon  him  a  pair  of  curi- 
ous eyes,  he  presently  descried  Monsieur  Moliere, 
for  that  moment  sitting  alone,  waiting  to  go  on  in 
his  comedy,  but  weary  already  and  looking  ill 
and  old.  By  the  turn  of  fortune  a  chair  was 
vacant  beside  him.  It  was  Canardin's  chance,  a 
chance  to  reestablish  himself. 

"Monsieur,"  he  said,  languidly  sinking  into 
the  empty  chair  at  the  great  man's  side,  "it  would 
be  unpardonable  of  me  to  address  you  were  I  not 
convinced  that  on  one  point  at  least  we  meet  as 
equals." 

"That  is  quite  possible,"  drawled  Monsieur 


136       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Moliere,  at  once  amused.  "  Wlio  is  it  I  have  the 
honor  to  address?  " 

"A  man  as  sad  as  yourself,  Monsieur,"  said 
Canardin,  never  lacking  for  things  to  say. 
"  Monsieur,  in  company  with  thousands  of  others 
in  Europe,  I  am  a  devoted  lover  of  your  works. 
But  I  say  to  my  friends,  *  Wait !  Monsieur  Mo- 
liere's  masterpiece  is  yet  to  come.  That  we  shall 
have  when  at  last  Moliere  consents  to  tell  us — 
what  he  knows/" 

"  What,  Monsieur !  My  candor  has  earned  me 
cabbages  enough  already !  " 

"  Monsieur  Moliere,  do  you  suppose  I  am  the 
only  one  who  hears,  between  your  merry  lines, 
the  cry  of  a  heart  that  is  breaking  for  his  fel- 
lows? " 

"  You  are  certainly  original,  Monsieur,  in  your 
compliments ! " 

"  I  have  been  watching  you  this  evening,  Mon- 
sieur— wondering  to  myself,  '  What  does  Moliere 
think  of  this  scene ! '  What  must  any  French- 
man think  of  it?" 

Monsieur  Moliere's  reply  was  a  silent  thought 
to  himself,  "  This  gentleman  is  cracked." 

Canardin  rolled  on  undismayed.  "A  sweet 
lady  said  in  my  hearing  this  evening,  'Ah,  this — 
this  is  France ! »  Whereas,  you  and  I  know  bet- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       137 

ter.  Monsieur " — Canardin  now  turned  more 
fully,  more  confidentially  to  the  great  man — "  it 
is  an  astute  monarch  who  puts  his  historians  on 
the  fattest  of  pensions." 

"  He  is  drunk,"  thought  Moliere.  "  I  wish  I 
could  carry  my  wine  as  well !  " 

"  Such  historians,"  Canardin  braved  the  mock- 
ing smile  directed  upon  him,  "become  your 
strongest  rivals!  This  age,  they  are  saying  al- 
ready, is  the  greatest,  the  most  brilliant  of  all. 
At  once,  Monsieur,  such  history  outdoes  your 
works  in  comedy !  " 

The  narrowing  glance  in  Moliere's  eyes  was 
saying,  "  There  is  wit  in  his  madness !  " 

"  I  am  a  stranger  to  these  places,"  Canardin 
was  saying,  quite  truly,  and  added  even  more 
truly,  "  They  would  prefer  to  have  me  a  stranger. 
One  warms  his  hands  here,  I  find,  but  not  his 
heart.  Are  you  really  at  home  here  yourself, 
Monsieur,  where  no  one  says  what  he  believes, 
and  no  one  believes  him?  " 

The  great  reader  of  men  sat  listening  with 
gathering  interest,  with  a  guess  of  his  own  at  the 
heart  that  was  speaking  between  these  mad  lines. 

"  Who  cares  what  is  said,  so  long  only  as  it  is 
said  with  elegance? "  Canardin  continued,  so 
that,  while  he  spoke  in  a  low  voice,  others  about 


138       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

strained  to  catch  what  it  was  that  so  plainly 
drafted  the  interest  of  Moliere.  "  How  can  one 
keep  a  straight  face  here  when  genius,  like  Ra- 
cine, listens  with  the  utmost  gravity  to  the  jacka- 
napes !  Merit,  like  that  of  De  Braille,  meets  its 
mimics  with  the  greatest  respect.  Those  who 
have  risen  by  effort  and  those  by  assassination 
are  here  together,  and  even  the  pious  overlook  the 
difference  between  them.  I  have  seen  the  sage 
and  the  silly  flirting  under  the  balconies,  the 
beautiful  dancing  with  the  beastly.  Meanwhile 
French  peasants  are  dying  to  the  music  of  Lully. 
Monsieur,  I  am  a  jolly  rogue  myself.  Here  I  am 
among  my  own  kind." 

"  Monsieur,"  said  Moliere,  "  if  you  keep  on,  I 
shall  have  to  quote  you !  " 

"  Monsieur,"  said  Canardin,  "  if  I  keep  on,  you 
will  never  dare  to  quote  me !  This  is  not  France, 
Monsieur.  Let  us  be  thankful  for  that.  France 
lies  there."  Canardin  made  a  fairly  general 
sweep  with  his  arm. 

The  gesture  attracted  further  attention. 
Dancers  whose  eye  had  been  caught  forgot  their 
steps  for  a  second.  Others  still  stared,  but  now 
in  a  different  manner. 

"  Monsieur,"  Canardin  was  encouraged  by  all 
this,  "I  see  in  your  eye  that  you  think  this 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       139 

strange  talk.  One  keeps  such  emotions  to  him- 
self, if  he  can.  At  least  here.  This  is  beautiful, 
it  is  grand.  Such  lovely  women,  almost  they  are 
worth  what  they  cost.  But  I  happen  to  have 
come,  Monsieur,  from  that  France  where  the  bills 
are  paid.  There  you  will  drive  along  the  roads 
and  mark  strange  humps  in  the  fields,  rummag- 
ing the  soil  with  ferocious  energy.  Suddenly 
they  stand  up,  scorched  almost  black  by  the  sun. 
And  what  you  thought  were  animals  turn  out  to 
be  men  and  women.  Speak  to  them  and  they 
answer  you — in  French.  It  is  a  fact,  they  are 
human !  At  night  they  slink  off  into  caves,  and 
there  eat  black  bread  and  roots,  and  drink  water. 
Water,  Monsieur!  They  save  other  Frenchmen 
the  terrible  drudgery  of  sowing  and  tilling  and 
reaping  for  their  own  livelihood.  And  we  oblige 
them  to  beg  for  the  bread  they  have  earned  by 
such  toil !  Here,  Monsieur,  the  historian  writes 
at  his  ease.  Out  there  " — again  the  gesture — 
"  the  tenth  part  of  all  France  is  begging.  Here, 
Monsieur,  reach  success  by  the  blackest  route 
you  please,  and  the  historian  hastens  to  set  down 
your  name.  The  others,  out  there,  he  forgets." 
Canardin  paused. 

"  Go  on,"  said  Moliere,  with  a  bright  light  in 
his  eyes.    A  scarlet-liveried  lackey,  who  had  over- 


140       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

heard,  drew  nearer  to  Monsieur  Moliere's  side 
and  was  listening  also  with  heightened  interest. 

"No,  Monsieur,"  Canardin  said,  with  great 
emotion,  "  I  cannot  go  on.  It  is  too  much  for 
me.  This  elegance,  this  last  refinement  of  mind 
and  taste,  flourishes  on  the  wealth  and  authority 
of  a  great  king.  What  will  happen  when  a  weak 
one  follows?  Then,  Monsieur,  I  see  a  vision. 
Through  this  solid  floor,  among  these  frightened 
dancers,  I  see  a  great  fist  daring  to  rise,  gnarled 
by  toil.  Monsieur !  "  Canardin  broke  off,  laugh- 
ing. "  I  have  said  too  much !  After  all,  under 
my  serious  exterior  there  is  a  vein  of  gayety, 
which  one  of  these  days  will  get  me  into  mis- 
chief!" 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  speak  a  word  for  you ! " 
laughed  Moliere. 

"  I  may  yet  ask  that  favor ! "  laughed  Can- 
ardin. "  Monsieur,  I  can  honestly  say  I'd  be  glad 
to  die  like  a  French  peasant.  But  perhaps  I 
have  lived  too  much  among  them.  Such  loveli- 
ness here,  such  wit — France  may  well  be  proud 
of  it.  That  lovely  young  thing  over  there,  Mon- 
sieur "—Canardin  inclined  his  head  toward  a  fa- 
miliar face  which  had  appeared — "that,  I  be- 
lieve, is  the  celebrated  Mademoiselle  Julie  Le- 
coigneux?  " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       141 

"  Bless  you,  no !  "  Moliere  laughed  so  heartily 
that  even  the  near-by  lackey  forgot  his  discipline 
and  likewise  laughed.  "  Have  you  also  encoun- 
tered that  lady's  tongue,  Monsieur? "  Moliere 
asked,  with  amusement.  "  There  is  only  one  like 
it  in  France.  The  most  bewitching  little  Tartar 
of  her  time!  That  is  the  dashing  comedienne, 
Sophie  Arnould." 

"  Oh,"  said  Canardin.  "  She  thought  I  was 
forty !  "  And  of  what  other  absurdities  he  might 
have  been  delivered  will  never  be  known,  for 
events  burst  upon  him,  suddenly,  with  the  simul- 
taneousness  of  a  sheaf  of  rockets.  No  sooner  had 
he  left  the  welcome  protection  of  Monsieur  Mo- 
liere when  the  fireworks  started. 

Nevertheless,  Canardin's  purpose  had  been 
fulfilled.  As  he  strode  sadly  away,  he  saw  him- 
self reestablished  in  the  graces  of  those  from 
whose  stare  respect  had  banished  hostility. 

"Who  is  that  man?"  Monsieur  Moliere  ex- 
claimed as  Canardin  passed  from  hearing. 

It  happened  that  he  asked  this  question  of  De 
Braille,  who  now  rushed  up  with  a  question  of 
his  own.  "  They  told  me,  Monsieur,  I  should 
find  him  here !  " 

"  That  man?     But  who  is  he,  De  Braille?  " 

"  A  friend  of  mine.    Armand  de  Lavallais.    A 


142       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

provincial  notary  of  note.  Something  of  an  ec- 
centric, no  doubt.  Where  is  he,  please?  " 

"  He  left,  all  too  soon !     Find  him  again !  " 

"  That  I  will !  Great  news  for  him !  For  us 
all,  Monsieur !  A  lackey  has  just  brought  report 
— this  one  here,  as  I  live !  probably  waiting  to  tell 
you  also — that  the  famous  Canardin  has  been 
captured ! " 

"  What,  Monsieur ! "  Countless  persons 
crowded  near. 

"  It  is  true !  At  last !  The  ladies  in  particu- 
lar will  be  delighted ! "  De  Braille  turned  to 
them.  "  Their  milliner,  Perdrigeon,  has  robbed 
them  often  enough.  Well,  now  he  has  been 
robbed  himself !  Though  he'll  probably  get  it  all 
back  from  the  bottom  of  the  Seine.  Canardin 
was  taken  while  rifling  his  shop !  Where  is  Ar- 
mand?  " 

Followed  and  aided  by  an  excited  group,  he 
soon  caught  up  with  our  sad  companion.  "Ar- 
mand !  "  De  Braille  caught  the  shoulder  of  the 
astonished  man  and  whisked  him  round.  "  Do 
you  hear  it?  My  poor  fellow !  Your  life's  labor 
is  all  in  vain !  Canardin  is  captured !  I've  told 
them  to  bring  him  here,  and  put  him  on  display ! 
MONSIEUR  himself,  when  he  comes,  will  be  dis- 
ported! That  dukedom  for  you,  nevertheless, 


143 

my  Armand !  "  De  Braille  laughed.  "  I'm  sure 
your  labors  have  brought  this  about !  " 

"Armand? "  a  lady  near  by  exclaimed.  "  I 
thought  he  was  the  Comte  de  Brisac ! " 

"Ah !  "  De  Braille  turned,  having  overheard. 
"  That  is  only  another  of  his  heavy  disguises ! 
Now,  poor  fellow,  he  may  leave  them  off.  Bid 
them  good-by.  As  for  Julie!  My  poor  Julie! 
She's  probably  in  one  of  her  own.  All  evening 
I've  hunted  her.  God  knows  where  she  is !  Prob- 
ably laughing  her  head  off  at  me,  from  under  the 
gray  hairs  of  some  old  dowager,  watching  for 
Canardin — here!  'Twill  break  her  poor  heart 
when  she  hears  the  news !  "  And  De  Braille  was 
off  on  his  fruitless  quest  of  her. 

"  I  ought  to  be  with  you  to  sympathize ! "  cried 
Canardin,  following. 

They  had  forged  through  the  crowd  not  above 
twenty  steps  when  another  loud  voice  halted 
them.  "  Canardin  has  been  taken !  They've  got 
the  man  Canardin!  A  lackey  has  just  brought 
the  news.  So  like  the  rogue !  He  was  caught  in 
the  Bureau  of  Trevours  himself ! "  this  shouter 
gleefully  published  his  news. 

This  actual  shout,  which  came  from  the  far  end 
of  the  room,  sent  a  wave  of  delighted  exclama- 
tions and  laughter  down  the  length  of  it.  Now 


144       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

the  whole  company  knew  of  the  capture.  At 
once  De  Braille  and  his  follower  set  off  in  that 
direction.  "  He  has  got  it  wrong,"  laughed  De 
Braille.  "But  no  matter.  Let's  see  what  he 
knows." 

In  not  ten  steps  they  were  halted  again,  by  a 
shout,  this  time,  from  the  opposite  end  of  the 
room.  "Aye,  Canardin  is  taken !  But  you've  had 
it  all  awry.  I  have  just  come  with  the  news  from 
the  crowd  in  the  Place  du  Louvre.  They  are  mad 
with  excitement.  A  lackey  heard  the  uproar, 
and  went  to  see.  They  took  Canardin  in  the  an- 
cient Roman  Amphitheatre  near  the  Sorbonne. 
The  rascal  had  actually  gone  there  to  join  a  com- 
pany of  guards  sent  by  Trevours  to  capture  Can- 
ardin at  Issy ! " 

This  fetched  an  immense  outburst  of  laughter 
from  the  entire  gathering.  A  crackle  of  com- 
ment arose  on  every  side.  "Ah,  that  Canardin !  " 
"  He  was  born  to  amuse  us !  "  "  What  a  pity  this 
is  the  end  of  him !  " — and  such  remarks.  To  all 
this  Canardin  himself  contributed  something  that 
renewed  the  laughter.  Lifting  himself  on  tiptoe, 
he  shouted  back  to  the  voice  at  the  end  of  the 
room, 

"Are  you  sure  they  have  got  all  of  that  Can- 
ardin? " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       145 

"Really,"  said  De  Braille,  sobering  now. 
"  There  do  seem  to  be  too  many  of  these  happy 
successes !  I  wonder  if  some  one  is  not  hoaxing 
us!" 

"  I  am  reasonably  sure,"  said  Canardin,  drily 
now,  "  that  some  one  is !  " 

"  S-some  one  (hie)  i-is,"  came  the  echo,  from  a 
speaker  whose  identity  was  unmistakable,  as  the 
onlookers,  now  suddenly  silent,  parted  before  the 
uncertain  approach  of  the  Due  de  Morbihan. 
His  perruque  was  at  odds  with  his  head.  His 
jaw  protruded,  and  his  bristling  moustache  was 
lifted  in  a  harsh  smile  that  disclosed  both  layers 
of  teeth.  In  his  eye  was  the  cold  glint  of  a  man 
angered  on  wine  to  the  point  of  rage.  By  one  arm 
he  dragged  a  terrified  lackey,  and  by  the  other 
he  led  the  immensely  mortified  but  true  and  genu- 
ine Armand  Lavallais.  Straight  before  De 
Braille  and  Canardin  he  brought  them,  while  the 
roomful  of  people,  unable  to  remember  decorum 
before  such  a  new  interest,  dropped  other  pur- 
suits and  edged  round  about,  a  circular  audience. 

With  that  canine  smile,  the  Due,  his  burly  fig- 
ure lurching  now  against  Lavallais  and  now 
against  the  lackey,  said  to  Canardin,  "M-Mon- 
sieur,  I  sh'pose  you'll  permit  a  word  with 
you?  " 


146       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  Certainly,  if  you  are  able  to  utter  one,"  said 
Canardin. 

"  D-do  you  re-rec'nizhe  this  man?  "  lie  shook 
Lavallais's  arm,  with  a  drunken  air  of  having  got 
everything  over  except  the  hanging. 

Poor  Lavallais,  already  blushing  crimson  as 
the  center  of  so  much  public  curiosity,  heartily 
wished  he  might  die,  if  that  were  the  only  escape 
from  the  admiring  smile  with  which  Canardin 
glanced  up  and  down  the  new  finery  the  aspiring 
young  notary  had  bought  from  those  thousand 
pistoles ! 

"  You  kn-know  thish  man,  m'  dear  feller?  "  the 
Due  was  snarling.  "  No  m-matter !  I'll  shee  to 
both  you  in  good  t-time.  You,  too,  m'  dear  li'l 
pink  J-Jean!  Al-l-low  me  to  int'duce  you  to 
your  old  f-friend,  Arm-mand  Lavallais!  H-a-a, 
ha,  ha ! "  he  ran  off  into  laughter.  "  S-sure  there's 
a  hoax  here  t-to-night.  There's  th'  cream  o'  the 
j-joke !  "  He  pointed  to  Canardin.  "  Jean,  I 
ought  t'  h-hang  you  inshtead.  And  give  Can- 
ardin y-your  place  at  C-Court!"  The  Due 
glanced  over  the  stupefied  crowd,  to  call  a  closer 
attention  to  this  prodigious  pleasantry  he  had 
uncovered.  Being  a  peer  of  France,  he  felt  privi- 
leged to  take  his  time  and  make  the  most  of  it. 
"  As  for  you,"  he  turned  back  to  Canardin,  "  I'll 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       147 

d-do  for  you  in  a  m-minute.  W-wait  till  y'  hear 
me  with  'im !  "  he  called  to  the  crowd. 

Canardin,  however,  had  ceased  to  heed  the  peer 
of  France.  His  eyes  were  riveted  instead  on  the 
poor,  offending  lackey,  who  seemed  ready  to  faint 
from  mortification  and  terror. 

The  Due  himself  now  turned  to  the  lackey, 
whose  fright  he  increased  with  a  roar.  "As  for 
this  Mow-born  lout ! "  He  shook  the  lackey's 
arm  till  the  fellow  cried  out  with  the  pain.  "  He 
all  but  sp-spoiled  with  his  idiocy  my  coup  of  a 
1-lifetime.  I've  a  mind  to  w-wring  your  neck." 
He  growled  it  out,  like  some  angered  animal. 
"He's  the  monkey  that  started  the  news,"  the 
Due  said  to  the  crowd,  and  turned  back  again, 
with  another  violent  shake.  "  You  will  try  your 
merry  wit  on  your  betters,  w-will  ye !  'N'  almost 
lose  me  my  prize !  I'll  teach  ye  your  duties,  ye 
lout,  ye  gutter-born  jackanapes,  ye " 

The  Due's  apostrophe,  even  to  a  humble  lackey, 
descended  to  terms  that  soon  turned  the  ladies 
away, — until  Canardin's  singular  defence  of  the 
poor  fellow  turned  them  back  to  see  again,  with 
a  shrill  cry. 

With  movements  of  his  arms  almost  too  rapid 
to  see,  Canardin  had  the  Due  reeling  free  of  both 
Lavallais  and  the  lackey.  Two  more  swift 


148       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

touches,  and  before  all  eyes  the  lackey's  scarlet 
cocked  hat  was  rolling  on  the  floor,  and  beside  it 
what  had  been  but  a  moment  before  a  luxurious 
little  moustache  and  beard  on  the  lackey's  face. 
Instantly  a  circle  of  raven  ringlets  cascaded 
down,  and  after  one  lightning  glance  of  conster- 
nation, the  now  crimson  face  of  Julie  Lecoigneux 
buried  itself  against  the  laces  at  Canardin's 
throat. 

"  I  thought,"  said  Canardin,  "  that  I  recog- 
nized Monsieur  Moliere's  devoted  attendant." 

"Julie!"  De  Braille  stepped  forward  and 
stopped,  helpless  to  decide  whether  to  take  Julie 
away,  or  first  run  Morbihan  through. 

"  You! "  De  Morbihan  cried  at  her,  with  more 
point  and  less  elegance.  Meanwhile  he  straight- 
ened himself,  as  became  the  occasion.  "  So  this 
is  the  way  you " 

"  Morbihan ! "  came  De  Braille's  warning.  The 
young  man  was  white  and  his  hand  reached  at  his 
side.  He  caught  himself  quickly,  however,  with 
a  sense  of  where  they  were.  "  To-morrow,  Mor- 
bihan," he  choked  out,  hardly  able  to  control  his 
words.  "Kemember  your  promise!  At  Fon- 
tainebleau ! " 

"  One  moment,  gentlemen,"  said  Canardin,  in 
the  old  dry  tone.  "You  will  spare  this,  I  am 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       149 

sure."  He  reached  out  and  plucked  from  Laval- 
lais's  shoulders  the  cloak  which  he  had  not  yet 
had  time  to  leave  off,  and  with  it  shrouded  from 
neck  to  toe  the  figure  of  Julie  -Lecoigneux,  shrink- 
ing in  the  tight  and  scarlet  breeches  of  a 
lackey. 

Of  all  the  countless  witnesses  to  this  moment 
of  drama,  Morbihan  was  the  first  to  recover  him- 
self. Even  something  of  sobriety  he  likewise  re- 
covered. "  But  that  is  Canardin !  "  he  shouted, 
and  made  a  lunge.  "  Julie  knows !  " 

All  eyes  were  meeting  Canardin's.  "Well," 
he  said  coolly,  "  it  would  not  strain  me  unduly  to 
think  of  worse  company  for  Mademoiselle  Julie." 

"  Ra-a-a ! "  was  as  close  as  Morbihan  could 
come  to  words  for  his  feelings.  "  Take  him ! " 
And  he  would  have  obeyed  his  own  command,  but 
that  De  Braille  stepped  before. 

"  Julie,"  he  said,  to  the  back  of  her  curly  head, 
"  is  that  man  Canardin?  " 

"  She  knows !  "  roared  Morbihan. 

"  If  I  were  certain,"  said  Canardin,  "that  Mon- 
sieur le  Due  is  able  to  read,  I  might  show  him  a 
certain  letter  I  received  from  the  hand  of  His 
Majesty  this  morning." 

"  A  fraud !    Out  of  the  way,  Jean !  " 

"  Julie !"  cried  De  Braille,  throwing  his  weight 


150       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

against  the  onrush  of  the  Due.  "  Tell  us !  Is 
that  man  Canardin?  " 

To  raise  her  face,  at  that  moment,  in  that  com- 
pany, perhaps  cost  Julie  Lecoigneux  a  greater 
effort  than  the  writing  of  all  Moliere's  comedies 
cost  that  man  of  genius.  She  kept  it  straight, 
however.  Earnest,  even.  One  glance  she  and 
that  man  exchanged.  And  perhaps  all  that  Mon- 
sieur Moliere  has  ever  written  was  in  it.  Only 
one  of  the  things  that  Canardin's  eyes  said  in 
that  second  was : 

"  What !  So  long  as  my  capture  is  inevitable 
in  the  end, — at  Issy,  shall  we  say? — why  let  them 
spoil  it  for  you  here?  " 

Hers  said :  "  Trust  me ! " 

Why  it  was,  after  that,  that  Mademoiselle 
Julie  impetuously  put  herself  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  Canardin,  only  she  or  any  other 
woman  knows.  Perhaps  because  there  was  some- 
thing else  in  Canardin's  glance. 

From  that  distance  of  a  step  or  two,  as  she 
heard  Morbihan  demand  again,  "Is  that  Can- 
ardin?" Mademoiselle  Julie  studied  him,  still 
with  a  straight  face.  She  even  cocked  her  head 
on  one  side,  to  make  the  study  more  painstaking. 
Then  she  said : 

"  No,  that  is  not  Monsieur  Canardin." 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       151 

Nor  is  it  to  be  known  precisely  what,  beyond 
an  impish  spirit  of  mischief  in  her,  made  her 
whisk  about  upon  poor  Armand  Lavallais,  and 
say  in  terrible  tones : 

"  But  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that  man ! " 

"He!"  Morbihan  turned.  They  all  turned 
upon  Armand.  "  Come,  Monsieur !  "  the  Due 
thundered.  "Are  you  the  impostor?  " 

Said  Julie  Lecoigneux  demurely : 

"  I  distinctly  heard  a  dangerously  beautiful 
young  woman  here  use  the  word  Canardin  to 
him  this  evening." 

"  Monsieur !  "  said  the  Due  to  Lavallais. 

"  Monsieur !  "  echoed  De  Braille. 

When  they  turned  back  to  Canardin,  to  com- 
pare the  two  for  purposes  of  discovering  which 
was  the  unbidden  guest,  Canardin  was  gone. 
And  to  make  sure  of  one  Canardin  at  least,  they 
hustled  poor  Lavallais  away. 


CHAPTER  IX 

AT  eleven  o'clock  that  night  Canardin,  now 
in  the  leathern  suit  he  affected  for  his 
hardier  exploits  on  the  road  or  in  the  country, 
repaired  by  arrangement  to  the  floor  of  the 
ruined  Roman  Amphitheatre  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill  near  the  Sorbonne.  There,  in  the  flesh,  and 
gathered  near  the  solitary  oil  lantern  lighting  the 
place,  were  the  forty  brave  men  chosen  by  Tre- 
vours  to  proceed  with  Canardin  toward  his  cap- 
ture at  Issy. 

Warned  to  expect  a  commander  of  eccentric 
appearance  and  manner,  they  saluted  Canardin 
without  question,  and  with  a  curiosity  that  he 
did  his  best  to  conceal  he  passed  among  them 
on  inspection.  Young  fellows  they  were,  in  the 
main,  thick  and  heavy  set.  Trevours  had  picked 
with  a  generous  hand.  Every  mother's  son  of 
them  had  a  face  to  thrust  out  that  gathered  some- 
thing of  ferocity  from  the  very  darkness  itself. 

"  H'm !  "  was  Canardin's  professional  opinion, 
as  he  passed  down  the  line.  "  I  shouldn't  mind 
adding  such  tough  ones  to  my  own  numbers !  As 
fine  a  gang  of  cutthroats  as  ever  I've  seen !  As 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       153 

fine  a  set  of  captors  as  an  honest  man  could  want ! 
Beauties,  every  one  of  them !  But " 

In  a  word,  not  a  thing  was  lacking  to  Can- 
ardin's  satisfaction  except  the  only  one  that  mat- 
tered. Look  as  he  would,  not  a  whisker  was 
there  that  had  a  loose  look.  To  try  their  voices, 
then,  he  made  them  call  off  their  names.  Every 
man  jack  of  them  bawled  his  out  like  a  croak 
from  a  bassoon.  At  any  other  time  Canardin 
would  have  said  with  gusto,  "  The  finest  French 
voices  outside  of  a  bull's  hide !  "  Under  present 
circumstances  he  thought  a  frog's  was  sweeter. 

She  was  not  there ! 

Perhaps,  after  the  uproar  at  the  Palais,  it  has 
been  too  much  to  expect. 

To  end  all  possible  foolery,  Canardin  asked 
point-blank.  "  I  was  informed  by  Monsieur  Tre- 
vours  that  a  young  man  named  Lecoigneux,  anx- 
ious to  be  present  and  assist  at  the  taking  of  Can- 
ardin, would  join  this  party  under  my  personal 
protection.  Is  that  man  here?  " 

No  one  answered  at  once,  until  a  spokesman 
felt  something  incumbent  on  him.  "No  such 
person  appeared,  Monsieur,"  he  growled  in  tones 
like  the  creak  of  a  gallows  stair. 

"  H'm !  "  came  Canardin's  sniff.  "  His  valor 
died  in  the  cradle ! " 


154       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  lead  this  pre- 
cious collection  to  the  nearest  woods,  lose  them 
thoroughly,  and  leave  them  to  wander  back  to 
Paris  as  it  suited  them. 

"Forward,  gentle  angels!"  Canardin  gave 
the  command  and  sent  them  ahead,  with  their 
throats  full  of  laughter  and  nothing  in  their 
heads.  Otherwise  they  might  have  questioned  a 
commander  who  chose  to  see  their  backs  instead 
of  showing  them  his.  So  to  Issy  they  started, 
with  forty  light  hearts,  and  one  that  was  heavy. 

Truly  her  interest  had  been  short-lived.  Can- 
ardin's  vanity  was  sorely  hurt.  Going  out  into 
the  vasty  darkness,  thus,  all  uncaptured,  he  felt 
hideously  lonely.  After  those  wild  ruses  with 
De  Braille,  with  Lavallais  and  Trevours,  not  to 
mention  the  little  excitement  at  the  Palais  Eoyal, 
there  would  now  be  not  a  single  hospitable  cranny 
left  him  in  Paris.  And  for  the  amusement  of  at 
least  one  last  word  he  had  hoped  of  the  fairest 
and  most  determined  of  his  takers,  before  quit- 
ting the  city.  To  be  suffered  to  depart  like  this, 
forsooth,  neglected,  ignored,  dropped  out  of  mind ! 
In  return  for  that,  he  would  see  that  he  was 
missed.  Paris  should  remember  his  stay,  short 
as  it  was.  While  he  was  about  it,  by  way  of 
souvenir,  he  decided  to  convert  these  forty  good 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       155 

men  to  his  own  uses,  if  he  could  find  a  way  to  do 
it. 

Already  Canardin  was  planning  one,  as  he 
piloted  his  crew  along  the  road  by  the  Seine  in 
the  blackness  of  a  cloudy  night,  his  spirits  sink- 
ing, his  petulance  mounting  at  every  step.  The 
going  was  rough  and  the  way  was  long.  Finally, 
after  several  miles,  it  occurred  to  Canardin  to 
be  rid  of  his  bad  humor  by  unloading  it  on  these 
luckless  beggars. 

"  Halt !"  he  called,  and  kept  them  standing  in 
the  road,  whilst  he  sat  down  to  rest  on  a  stone. 

"  What  is  it,  Monsieur?  "  one  of  them  asked  at 
last. 

"  I  thought  I  heard  an  owl,"  said  Canardin. 

"  That  has  been  known  to  happen  before,  Mon- 
sieur." 

"  Silence,  fool !  It  is  the  favorite  signal  among 
Canardin's  band ! " 

"  Our  valor  has  not  died  in  the  cradle,  Mon- 
sieur," a  young  man  laughed. 

"  Then  your  prudence  did !  Consider !  We 
are  still  fourteen  miles  from  Issy.  Yet  his  men 
are  posted  that  far  out.  It  means  three  hundred 
of  them  at  the  least.  I  am  your  commander, 
men,  not  your  murderer.  Any  of  you  wish  to 
return?  " 


156       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  Let  us  listen,"  a  low  voice  suggested. 

The  owl  just  then  obliged  with  a  hoot,  but  from 
another  tree. 

"  There's  the  answer,"  said  Canardin.  "  They 
are  aware  and  watching.  I  know  their  tricks! 
Nasty  work,  taking  their  crafty  shots!  One 
never  sees  whence  the  bullet  comes.  And  their 
aim  makes  widows  and  orphans.  We'd  best  sepa- 
rate. No !  That  opens  the  way  to  a  massed  at- 
tack!" 

"  We'll  need  all  our  own  mass  to  meet  it,  Mon- 
sieur," growled  another. 

"  Even  more  so,  as  we  go  forward,"  said  Can- 
ardin. 

"  Had  we  best  wait  for  reinforcements?  See- 
ing we're  but  forty?  " 

"  Wait?  And  let  the  prize  slip ! "  snapped 
Canardin.  "  You  know  the  reward.  I've  heard 
it  said  there's  a  dukedom  awaiting  his  captor. 
That's  what  the  King  himself  thinks  of  that  Can- 
ardin. Yet  the  brains  of  the  fox  in  the  might 
of  the  lion  alone  will  take  that  man !  " 

"  If  Monsieur  fits  the  description,  let  him  go  on 
alone !  "  Canardin  overheard  one  say  to  another. 

"And  leave  his  estate  behind  him !  I'd  be  any 
notary's  orphan,  if  any  one  asked  me ! "  that 
other  answered. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       157 

"My  men,"  said  Canardin,  "it  is  time  we 
shaped  our  plans.  But  first  let  me  tell  you.  I 
am  willing  to  take  Canardin.  After  that  he  be- 
longs to  you  for  the  hanging.  Many  men  I  have 
sent,  and  many  more  will  I  send,  to  the  gallows. 
But  never  that  man.  A  plague  on  his  head,  yet 
I  never  knew  him  to  rob  an  honest  man.  Always 
it  is  thieves  a  thousandfold  worse  than  himself. 
Money  lenders ! — those  sharks  that  have  perhaps 
every  one  of  you  honest  Frenchmen  in  their  grip, 
snatching  the  very  chair  and  kettle  from  under 
your  thatch,  the  clothes  from  your  back,  the 
crust  from  your  lips, — all  to  the  detriment  of 
your  dignity — they  are  Canardin's  delight !  'Tis 
a  pity  he  must  be  hanged  so  soon.  Otherwise  he 
might  rid  France  of  those  pests." 

"  I  could  point  him  to  one ! "  a  feeling  voice 
said. 

"And  what  does  Canardin  do  with  his  takings? 
Hands  them  back  to  the  poor  that  have  been 
pinched  by  those  sharks  till  they  cried  to  die! 
Man  of  law  that  I  am,  I  must  say  there  are  cer- 
tain laws  that  are  well  broken.  There  is  the 
devilish  cleverness  of  that  Canardin.  Never  once 
has  he  broken  a  good  law,  nor  left  a  bad  one  un- 
rebuked.  Let  it  hit  whom  it  will.  This  sum- 
mer, for  example,  what  does  Canardin  do  with  a 


158       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

marquis,  no  less !  It  is  the  will  of  God  that  we 
must  have  these  nobles  to  ride  us  down  on  the 
highways  and  cost  us  taxes  at  home.  Neverthe- 
less, there  are  some  of  them  that  overstep  even 
the  will  of  God  in  such  matters.  What  does  this 
marquis  do  but  seize  Jean  Balmaque's  prize 
heifer,  the  pride  of  Jean's  life,  the  sole  support  of 
Jean's  family,  and  slit  open  its  body,  does  this 
marquis,  for  a  warm  place  for  his  feet,  to  cure  his 
gout.  Such  is  the  open  report  of  that  matter. 
The  truth  is  too  black  for  the  telling.  You  know 
for  yourselves  how  these  marquises  do  for  you. 
If  only  they  confined  their  attentions  to  your 
heifers!  With  excellent  reason  does  this  Can- 
ardin  hunt  up  that  marquis,  and  burn  down  his 
place,  and  haunt  the  poor  devil  night  and  day, 
till  he  cheerfully  paid  poor  Jean  Balmaque  for 
his  heifer.  It  was  but  one  of  the  many  sins  done 
in  our  poor  world  that  your  Canardin,  sinner 
himself,  has  rebuked." 

"  H'm ! "  came  thoughtfully  out  of  the  night. 
"He  might  have  done  worse,  might  Canardin! 
Pity  there  is  only  one  of  him !  " 

"  Aye,  but  he  has  hundreds  to  help  him — thou- 
sands even.  And  more  lucky  beggars  joining  his 
banner  by  the  month!  A  hard  time  he  has,  to 
keep  them  away,  with  the  merry  times  he  pro- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE        159 

vides  for  them,  and  the  fat  of  the  land  for  their 
wage!  There  is  the  frightful  strength  of  the 
man — that  he  is  so  loved  by  his  followers,  for 
the  kindness  and  bounty  they  have  at  his  hands. 
What  wonder  the  King  is  at  his  wits'  end  to  catch 
that  Canardin,  with  men  like  yourselves  on  beg- 
garly pay — when  you're  paid  at  all — and  fed 
poorer  than  pigs  in  the  sty ! " 

"  'Tis  true !  "  several  said  to  each  other. 

"  What  time  o'  night  might  it  be,  Monsieur,  if 
you  please?  " 

"  High  time  we  be  going  on,"  said  Canardin, 
still  comfortably  seated  on  his  stone.  "  But  one 
moment.  You  have  reminded  me.  I  must  warn 
you.  Perhaps,  after  all,  the  married  among  you 
had  better  retire.  I  have  known  men  to  set  out 
after  Canardin  and  never  afterward  be  seen  again 
among  their  fellows.  'Tis  a  fearful  thing,  to  van- 
ish so  and  leave  not  a  trace  for  a  widow  to  sigh 
over!  So  terrible  is  that  Canardin's  strength, 
so  silently  is  it  spread  out,  like  a  secret  order, 
that  no  man  knows  when  his  sins  will  take  him 
into  the  net !  This  is  the  very  night  for  it !  Aye, 
it  is  well  that  we  hang  him  soon,  or  his  power 
may  be  such  that  not  even  in  the  name  of  the 
King  may  so  slender  a  band  as  we  honest  men 
set  forth  after  that  man  and  hope  to  return  alive ! 


160       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

So  I  say,  the  married  among  you  had  better  turn 
themselves  homeward,  to  those  who  need  the  little 
bread  they  earn.  It  will  do  for  the  young  and 
unmarried,  who  have  so  little  to  leave  behind,  to 
follow  on  with  me." 

"  But  if  we  divide  the  force,  Monsieur,"  a 
young  man  said,  "  it  means  fewer  than  ever 
against  Canardin's  many,  whichever  few  he  at- 
tacks." 

"  Or  both,"  said  Canardin,  pricking  up  a  new 
interest  at  this  new  voice.  "  In  that  case,  your 
one  hope  of  safety  will  lie  in  taking  instant  oath 
to  Canardin!  Unless  you  like  fading  away  in 
your  tracks ! " 

"  By  heavens ! "  said  a  deep  bass,  "  take  my 
head  off  if  you  will,  Monsieur,  but  I  would  not 
take  it  amiss  if  some  one  told  me  where  that  kind 
Canardin  is  to  be  found !  I  have  a  sudden  fancy 
for  that  Canardin!  and  none  for  shivery  work 
like  this,  with  these  owls  about !  " 

"  From  no  further  away  than  behind  yon  hill, 
Canardin,  no  doubt,  has  overheard  what  you  say, 
my  man.  And  will  make  you  as  safe  as  a  church, 
among  Frenchmen  who  are  becoming  rich  by  be- 
friending the  poor.  By  righting  behind  the  law 
the  wrongs  that  are  done  in  front  of  it !  Tis  a 
strange  thing,  the  law,  as  who  should  know  bet- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       1G1 

ter  than  I !  And  to  think  that  I  should  so  soon 
be  having  that  friend  of  the  poor,  that  Canardin, 
hanged  on  the  gibbet !  " 

A  chorus  of  whispers  came  out  of  the  pause. 
"  Let  him  do  his  own  catching  and  hanging !  As 
for  me,  I'm  married !  " 

"  But  we  single  men  can't  be  left  here  alone  to 
our  fate !  " 

Then  the  louder  voice  of  that  younger  man, 
with  the  touch  of  a  taunt  in  its  tone : 

"  Monsieur  is  giving  Monsieur  Canardin  warn- 
ing enough  of  that  hanging  to  come,  with  all 
these  owls  about  to  listen!  There  flies  one 
now ! " 

"There  speaks  a  bold  spirit !"  their  commander 
piped,  and  stood  up  so  suddenly  as  to  startle  his 
band.  "  I'll  warrant  that  young  man  and  I  alone 
are  enough ! " 

"  I'll  pick  no  quarrel  with  that ! "  was  whis- 
pered— and  answered: 

"  The  man  is  cracked !    We  had  better  flee !  " 

"  Stay,  men !  I  give  you  my  word.  If  it  comes 
to  the  worst,  I  will  surrender  you  all,  myself 
included,  to  Canardin,  rather  than  see  us  all 
hanged  to  the  trees  like  dogs.  Aye,  he  may  well 
be  bold,"  the  commander  said,  "  who  has  not  yet 
seen  a  hanging!  No  sight  for  babes  and  suck- 


162       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

lings,  indeed!  Hangmen  themselves  have  sick- 
ened at  their  work,  as  I  have  seen  with  my  own 
eyes.  Aye,  'twould  surprise  me  little  if  the  ghost 
of  old  Jacques  Chabert  himself  would  scream 
from  that  wood  in  a  minute,  as  I  tell  of  his  hang- 
ing for  the  theft  of  a  pheasant  last  March.  True 
it  is,  the  pheasant  belonged  to  one  of  the  six 
chateaux  of  his  excellency  the  Due  de  Morbihan, 
whilst  Jacques  was  only  a  peasant,  and  right 
well  hanged  for  his  crime.  My  faith,  the  row  he 
made  about  it,  crying  to  heaven  for  his  life,  that 
peasant,  after  the  fright  he  had  given  that  bird ! 
"Not  even  the  King's  mandate,  mind  you,  was 
enough  to  convince  that  stupid  Jacques,  a  man 
like  yourselves,  that  he  had  honestly  come  by  his 
hanging !  It  came  at  the  end  of  a  night  precisely 
like  this — dark,  silent,  when  the  very  leaves 
whisper  bloody  secrets,  and  anything  may  hap- 
pen. Next  morning  at  dawn,  when  they  haul 
that  worthless  Jacques  from  his  cell  into  the 
sunlight,  not  even  then  is  he  able  to  believe  what 
they  mean  to  do  for  him!  Not  though  there  in 
the  crowd  about  the  gallows  is  his  wife  herself 
looking  up  at  him!  When  her  face  is  so  white 
and  her  eyes  so  big  that  a  fool  could  have  seen 
the  sight  of  his  own  death  in  them.  Up  the  steps 
they  walk  that  Jacques,  and  read  him  the  ter- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       163 

rible  account  of  his  crime.  And  all  Jacques  does 
is  look  stupidly  about  and  down  at  his  wife,  as 
if  he  couldn't  believe  a  word  of  it.  Aye,  but  he 
believed  it  the  next  minute.  This  next  second, 
men,  you  may  hear  his  spirit  repeat  in  that  very 
wood  the  sound  he  made  when  he  cast  up  his  eyes 
and  saw  the  pretty  golden  scarf  they  were  letting 
down  about  his  neck!  He  just  looked  up,  and 
went  this  way : 

"<A-a-i-i-e-e!>    Like  that!" 

Canardin  cupped  his  hands  and  shouted  this 
at  the  top  of  his  lungs,  so  that  the  woods  rang 
with  it,  and  long,  avenging  echoes  hurried  to 
join  them  from  far  across  the  Seine. 

"  That  hangman  went  mad  and  died  in  a  hor- 
rible fit,  as  you  may  well  believe;  and  here  in 
these  very  woods,  at  night,  his  soul  goes  fleeing 
before  the  screams  of  that  poor  Jacques,  so  that 
priests  themselves  shiver  in  their  beds  when  they 
hear  it ! " 

These  last  of  Canardin's  words  were  addressed, 
along  with  Canardin's  deep  and  mellow  laughter, 
to  the  backs  of  thirty-nine  other  lusty  hangmen 
who  suddenly  had  no  stomach  for  their  job.  Pell- 
mell  they  pattered  down  the  road  on  the  way  to 
safety  and  to  Paris.  One  lone  young  man  of  the 
forty  remained,  laughing  with  him.  And  even 


164       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

that  one's  laughter  died  a  swift  death  as  Can- 
ardin  turned  and  said  quietly : 

"Ah,  I  thought  I  counted  only  thirty -nine 
names  to  forty  persons." 


CHAPTER  X 

"DETWEEN  them  there  was  a  very  brief  si- 
•*— *  lence,  which  Canardin  was  the  first  to  break. 
"  I  believe,  Mademoiselle  Lecoigneux,"  he  said, 
"  that  we  have  an  appointment  at  JVleaux  to-mor- 
row— Saturday." 

She  answered  nothing,  out  of  her  many  emo- 
tions at  the  moment.  It  says  something,  never- 
theless, that  one  of  Mademoiselle's  emotions  was 
that  of  embarrassment  at  appearing  in  such  fan- 
tastic habiliments  before  this  particular  man. 
Canardin  laughed  gently,  as  he  noticed,  even  in 
the  heavy  darkness,  her  doubtful  glances  toward 
her  boots  and  breeches. 

"  Truly,  Mademoiselle,"  Canardin  decided  to 
help  her  out,  "  I  scarcely  know  how  to  forgive 
myself.  Those  brave  gentlemen  seem  to  have  left 
us  in  something  of  a  dilemma.  Perhaps  you  have 
noticed." 

The  lone  remaining  soldier  of  the  King  con- 
tinued to  enact  the  young  man  for  just  one  min- 
ute longer.  She  placed  her  hands  in  the  gaping 
pockets  of  her  coat  and  surveyed  this  man,  or 
as  much  of  him  as  she  could  make  out  in  the 


166       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

darkness,  moved  both  to  be  furious  and  to  smooth 
him  down  in  some  disarming  manner.  So  she  let 
fly  a  bit  of  a  laugh,  of  the  very  tiniest  dimensions. 
It  would  do  just  as  well  to  see  how  he  meant  to 
behave.  And  when  he  kept  her  waiting,  with 
laughter  of  his  own,  the  instincts  of  her  sex  of 
course  taught  her  to  fly  to  woman's  first  precau- 
tion in  any  emergency.  She  stamped  her  foot 
and  was  haughty. 

"  Monsieur !    I  believe  you  contrived  this !  " 

"  No,  Mademoiselle,"  said  Canardin  modestly. 
"  You  do  me  too  much  credit.  It's  nothing  but 
sheer  good  fortune." 

In  spite  of  herself  Mademoiselle  laughed  again 
at  that.  Matters  were  becoming  perilously  good- 
natured,  and  she  was  obliged  to  check  herself. 

"  Monsieur !  I  would  have  you  understand  this 
is  serious ! " 

"  I  suppose  it  is,"  said  Canardin,  as  if  he  were 
crushed.  "  I  do  so  badly.  How  long  it  has  taken 
to  come  within  reach  of  my  capture !  And  now 
that  it  is  here  at  last — behold !  It  is  dark.  It  is 
late.  You  are  totally  without  escort.  We  are 
on  the  edge  of  a  wilderness.  It  is  inconvenient 
to  Paris.  Ah,  Mademoiselle,  don't  say,  if  you 
please,  that  this  is  any  of  my  contrivance ! " 

Once   again   Mademoiselle   crushed   down   a 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE        167 

gurgle  of  laughter  with  only  the  stoutest  effort. 
Fortunately  he  gave  her  something  to  resent. 
To  remind  a  lady  at  such  a  time  of  all  the  con- 
ventions she  had  broken  so  badly !  Even  so,  Julie 
fell  into  the  very  vein  of  this  dominant  figure 
when  she  said : 

"  Next  time,  Monsieur,  you  will  please  to  man- 
age better." 

"  Be  sure  I'll  improve,  Mademoiselle !  "  said 
Canardin.  "  And  yet  I  can't  survive  many  of 
these  disappointments.  To  have  come  so  close  to 
being  captured  and  have  you  decline  it — after 
what  it  has  cost  you !  Bonbouche,  it  seems,  has 
loved  your  money  better  than  mine.  And  you 
have  paid  him  for  nothing.  He  knows  only  my 
past,  and  it's  what  I  have  in  my  head  for  the  fu- 
ture that  alone  has  value  for  you.  Would  you 
accept,  also,  another  bit  of  advice?  When  next 
you  leave  a  memorandum  in  my  pocket,  be  care- 
ful to  erase  from  the  other  side  of  the  paper  the 
name  and  the  tender  sentiments  of  Monsieur  de 
Braille.  He  might  be  annoyed." 

"  Monsieur !  "  Julie  tried  still  to  be  severe.  It 
is  true  that  the  night  hid  her  blushes,  but  not  all 
her  self-control  could  rule  out  traces  of  amuse- 
ment in  her  tones.  "Will  you  please  give  over 
trifling !  We  have  a  situation  on  our  hands !  " 


168       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Trifling!  To  this  prankish  and  mischievous 
girl  the  distance  and  the  darkness  were  no  more 
than  an  impropriety.  To  Canardin  it  was  a  day- 
light peopled  with  matters  that  he  was  seeing 
only  too  clearly.  Alone,  he  would  have  taken 
such  hazards  as  wearisome  matters  of  course. 
This  delightful  impediment  could  not  be  got  too 
quickly  out  of  them ! 

Julie  Lecoigneux  missed  in  Paris !  After  that 
stormy  moment  at  the  Palais !  Her  whereabouts 
and  her  madcap  errand  now  certainly  guessed, 
even  by  wits  like  those  of  Morbihan !  Within  the 
hour,  Canardin  knew,  the  road,  the  woods,  the 
river  would  ring  with  the  calls  of  her  searchers. 
He  gazed  at  that  point  in  the  darkness  whence 
came  the  sound  and  the  scent  of  her,  and  im- 
agined what  a  moment  it  would  be  when  he 
handed  her  back  to  them.  Gave  her  up.  Now 
that  there  was  a  something — shall  we  call  it  a 
novelty? — in  hearing  that  voice — in  having  such 
a  forbidden  thing  so  near  — — 

Canardin  inwardly  showered  himself  with 
curses  and  commiseration!  Then  he  laughed. 
There  was  something  he  had  forgotten.  After 
all  she  was  Julie  Lecoigneux.  Her  own  easy 
recollection  of  that  fact  further  amused  him. 

"  Monsieur !  "  he  heard.     It  was  her  demand 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       169 

for  assurance.  His  silence  had  made  her  un- 
easy; his  laughter  more  so.  The  darkness  ob- 
scured his  intentions.  Without  sound  of  him, 
Julie  was  without  guidance.  She  burst  into  a 
blaze  of  anger,  accordingly, — to  Canardin's  added 
pleasure.  He  recognized  a  spirit  up  to  his  own. 
"  This  is  outrageous !  "  Julie  was  saying.  "  See 
where  you  have  placed  me !  I  little  thought  this 
of  you,  Monsieur  Canardin!  To  put  me  in 
peril!  But,  Monsieur,  if  you  think  to  frighten 
me " 

"You  have  your  pistols,  Mademoiselle.  And 
to  make  them  more  useful  to  you — see!  I  toss 
mine  away."  One  after  the  other  she  heard  their 
splash  as  he  flung  them  over  the  wall  into  the 
river.  "  What  else  would  you  have?  " 

This  fetched  from  Julie  such  a  protest  of  the 
opposite  order  as  only  women  permit  themselves. 
For  all  her  bravado  of  speech,  she  had  been  pru- 
dently backing  to  a  distance.  Here  she  stopped 
in  her  tracks,  horror-stricken.  "  Monsieur !  " 
she  cried.  "We  needed  those  things  for  our 
common  protection!  How  could  you!  What 
dangers  there  may  be  lurking  about  us,  you  little 
know!  However,"  she  ended  on  a  particularly 
withering  note,  "  I  forget  what  it  is  to  be  Mon- 
sieur Canardin ! " 


"  There  will  be  annoyances  in  store,"  Canardin 
hopefully  conceded. 

"In  plenty,  Monsieur!  Be  serious,  I  beg  of 
you!  Consider  the  hour!  And  where  we  are! 
I  must  ask  you  to  take  me  back  to  Paris  at 
once ! " 

"  I  thought,  Mademoiselle,  that  /  was  the 
prisoner." 

"  Monsieur  Canardin !  " 

To  Julie  the  situation  had  begun  at  last  really 
to  represent  itself  for  what  it  was.  And  at 
thought  of  Paris,  Julie  Lecoigneux,  the  privi- 
leged player  of  a  prank,  now  that  the  prank  had 
turned  out  badly,  was  at  once  replaced  by  Julie 
Lecoigneux  the  great  personage.  In  the  dark- 
ness Canardin  was  witness  to  certain  telltale 
wriggles  and  wrenches.  When  he  was  sure  she 
had  got  the  pistol  from  its  holster,  he  laughed 
again  gently. 

"  I  suppose  Monsieur  regards  these  things," 
Julie  said  coldly,  "  with  the  contempt  that  comes 
of  over-familiarity.  But  at  least  I  shall  be  able 
to  find  myself  with  it,  if  Monsieur " 

In  the  blackness,  Julie  missed  the  great  heat 
that  leaped  into  Canardin's  face,  for  she  could 
have  aimed  no  more  deadly  shot.  It  took  him  a 
long  while  to  answer.  But  what  he  said  told  also. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       171 

"You  have  spoken  less  about  Canardin  than 
you  have  of  yourself,  Mademoiselle.  As  for  my 
honor,  the  next  hour  may  speak  for  itself." 

The  bright  flush  which  that  fetched  upon  Julie 
was  likewise  lost  in  the  night.  Not  so  her  im- 
petuous act.  She  came  to  him  and  reached  for 
his  hand  and  pressed  it.  "  I  have  been  base, 
Monsieur  Canardin!  Forgive  me!  But  Mon- 
sieur ! " — she  quickly  dropped  that  high  tone. 
"The  'next  hour?'  Are  we  so  far  away  as 
that?"  She  gave  a  playful  shudder,  which  he 
felt  through  her  hand.  "  Would  you — wouldn't 
you  consent  to  start  at  once?  " 

"  As  you  will,"  said  Canardin,  still  hurt.  As 
if  his  eyes  really  could  penetrate  the  blackness, 
he  glanced  down  the  road  so  soon  to  bring  hurry- 
ing crowds  to  meet  them.  "  It  is  not  willingly 
that  I  turn  my  back  to  a  lady,  Mademoiselle,"  he 
said,  "  but  perhaps  you  will  be  more  at  ease  if  I 
walk  before."  And  down  the  road  he  started, 
not,  however,  without  promptly  blunting  the 
edge  of  that  biting  remark.  "  The  road  is  rough," 
he  said  over  his  shoulder,  "and  you  will  best 
dodge  the  stones  by  watching  me  find  them !  " 

Julie  kept  the  rebuke  for  herself,  all  the  same, 
and  smiled  as  she  received  still  another  reminder 
of  her  place,  for  Canardin  hit  up  such  a  pace 


172       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

back  to  Paris  as  she  was  hard  put  to  it  to  main- 
tain. In  no  great  while  she  was  obliged  to  call 
out: 

"  Monsieur !  If  you  please!  You  are  in  such 
haste  to  be  rid  of  me ! "  She  wanted  to  laugh, 
and  was  on  the  verge  of  vexatious  tears  instead, 
when  she  came  up  with  him,  and  puzzled  what 
next  to  say. 

So  Canardin  spoke  for  her.  "  I  will  not  pro- 
pose, Mademoiselle,  that  we  link  arms — for  our 
common  protection.  But  it  will  do  not  to  stray 
apart  too  far.  On  such  a  night  one  need  not  be 
ashamed  of  a  little  caution." 

Thus  they  went  on,  side  by  side,  at  Julie's  own 
choice  of  pace, — which  soon  lagged  more  and 
more,  as  the  heavy  boots  and  the  weight  of  her 
rough  garb  and  accouterments  told  upon  her. 
Also,  something  else  was  telling  upon  her, — the 
silence.  This  was  a  new  sensation  to  Julie 
Lecoigneux,  not  to  be  courted  madly,  but  to  be 
held  off  at  length,  instead,  in  stiff  indifference. 
At  such  a  time,  when  a  woman  has  no  other 
means  of  melting  a  man,  she  complains.  Usually 
that  is  effective.  So  Mademoiselle  burst  out : 

"  Oh,  Monsieur,  truly  you  must  find  me  a  log 
or  a  stone !  I  am  dead !  " 

He  found  her  better  than  that,  a  grassy  place 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       173 

on  a  little  bank  beside  the  way.  And  moved 
away! 

"  Ah,  how  could  you  do  this !  How  could  you 
bring  me  here !  "  she  sighed. 

"  Because  I  am  Canardin,  Mademoiselle.  I 
think  of  no  better  answer." 

Julie  Lecoigneux  permitted  herself  a  quiet 
laugh.  Canardin  had  taken  position  against  the 
damp  black  bark  of  a  tree.  But  a  man  who  al- 
lows himself  to  be  nettled  by  a  woman  has  placed 
himself  in  her  power, — provided  only  that  she 
knows  what  to  do  with  that  power. 

Canardin  piqued  this  spoiled  girl.  He  pro- 
posed a  new  problem.  A  man  who  held  himself 
so  utterly  independent  of  every  one  else,  herself 
in  especial,  was  a  stranger  to  Julie.  And  by  so 
firmly  putting  her  back  into  her  own  world  he 
left  her  helpless  and  baffled.  Belittled,  even !  In 
her  way  of  life  he  was  as  much  at  home  as  she; 
his  world  she  could  enter  only  by  donning  out- 
landish garb  and  cutting  a  ludicrous  figure. 

Julie  began  furtively  fumbling  at  the  shaggy 
wig  and  beard  that  made  a  burlesque  of  her 
strongest  weapon, — her  beauty. 

"What  are  you  doing,  Mademoiselle?"  Can- 
ardin caught  her  up  at  once,  which  pleased  her, 
because  it  proved  he  was  watching.  "  Leave  the 


174       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

horsehair  on,  if  you  will.  There  will  be  hundreds 
in  search  of  you.  Any  minute  we  shall  hear  their 
halloos.  In  case  a  mere  guard  comes  up  with 
us  first,  you  will  get  off  without  disclosing  your 
identity.  You  will  say  you  were  one  of  Tre- 
vours's  company,  left  behind." 

"  What  will  you  say,  Monsieur?  " 

Canardin  ignored  the  question.  "  One  mo- 
ment ! "  he  whispered. 

With  catlike  tread,  Canardin  was  across  the 
road  in  three  strides.  He  crept  there.  Once 
across  he  stooped,  and  peered  and  listened  over 
the  rude  wall  there  guarding  the  road  from  the 
river  some  feet  below. 

"  I  hope,  Monsieur,"  said  Julie,  in  a  plaintive 
tone,  as  he  crept  back  to  her  side,  "  there  are  to 
be  no  more  ghost  stories  to-night !  " 

What  Canardin  thought  he  forebore  to  say: 
"  Also  no  new  additions  to  the  company  of 
ghosts ! "  Still  he  spoke  nothing,  not  even  the 
thanks  he  felt  because  now  it  was  necessary  for 
them  to  be  closer  together  in  order  to  be  heard ! 

"What  are  you  thinking,  Monsieur  Can- 
ardin !  "  Julie  whispered,  when  she  could  endure 
his  silence  no  longer.  Since  he  refused  the  place 
she  made  on  the  bank  beside  her,  she  rose  and 
came  to  his  elbow. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       175 

All  but  inaudibly  she  heard  Canardin  hum- 
ming the  little  tune  that  always  indicated  the 
working  of  his  mind  when  danger  was  thickest. 
"  I  was  only  thinking,  Mademoiselle,"  he  said 
finally,  "  that  if  they've  had  the  wit  to  set  hounds 
on  our  trail,  your  waiting  will  not  take  an  hour, 
after  all." 

Julie  was  instantly  a  different  being. 
"  Hounds! "  the  proud  girl  blazed. 

"  Not  so  loud,  if  you  please !  " 

"  '  They? '  "  she  disregarded  him.  "  Who  are 
1  they?  '  Who  would  do  such  a  thing!  Do  they 
actually  hunt  you  with  hounds?  " 

"  I  fancy,"  said  Canardin,  "  this  time  the  com- 
pliment is  not  wholly  for  me.  That  is  probably 
Morbihan's  idea.  And  not  quite  so  loud,  Mad- 
emoiselle, I  must  insist." 

At  the  name,  Julie  sank  back  again  on  the 
bank,  but  with  a  clutch  at  Canardin's  arm  as 
drew  him  with  her  at  her  side,  very  much  melted 
at  last.  "  Morbihan !  "  she  said  under  her  breath, 
when  she  recovered  breath  at  all. 

"  So  you  see,  Mademoiselle,"  said  Canardin, 
"  what  it  is  that  Canardin  has  got  you  into !  " 

Julie  thought  for  a  moment.  "  No,  my  friend ! 
It  is  not  because  of  you.  I  know  that  man.  He 
would  never  quit  his  cups  for  you  at  this  time 


176       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

of  night.  I  know  Ms  errand!  Hounds!  He's 
among  his  own  kind!  You'll  see  how  I'll  need 
this  pistol !  You  are  sure  you  heard  them?  " 

"  It  might  have  been  any  one's  cur,  Mademoi- 
selle. That  one  was  far,  far  off.  Across  the 
river,  I'm  sure.  We  must  wait  to  make 
sure." 

"  '  That  one! '  Then  there  have  been  others? 
What  ears  you  have !  " 

"  A  little  while  back,  it  is  true — behind  us — I 
heard  one.  I  don't  want  to  alarm  you  unduly, 
Mademoiselle  Julie.  Yet  it  is  as  well  to  face 
things.  Let  us  go  on,  in  a  minute  or  two.  It 
seems  to  be  the  quarter  in  which  you  are  least  ex- 
pected! And  I  should  prefer  to  see  you  among 
friends." 

"  We  must  go  back  over  our  steps,  Monsieur ! 
To  walk  forward  into  such  forces  as  that  man 
will  have  is  madness!  They  will  be  too  many 
for  any  wit,  even  yours !  " 

"  The  way  behind  us  is  closed,  if  you  will  re- 
call, Mademoiselle,"  said  Canardin  quietly. 
"  The  hounds  are  already  behind  us." 

To  tell  the  truth,  matters  looked  dark  to  him 
for  once.  However,  he  was  fairly  confident  of 
Julie's  chances  with  Morbihan.  That  brute,  he 
counted,  would  be  too  busy  with  gloating  at 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       177 

getting  her  into  his  hands,  to  handle  her  with 
worse  than  the  insult  of  his  embrace. 

"  That  horrible  man ! "  Julie  pressed  her 
hands  together.  "  He  is  strong — enough  to  do  as 
he  pleases  elsewhere.  Those  at  the  Palais  to- 
night— he  will  have  them  ruined  to-morrow! 
And  all  because  of  my  mischief ! " 

"  Mine,  Mademoiselle." 

"  It  would  have  been  the  same,  if  you  had  not 
been  there.  That  man  sees  Canardin  every- 
where ! " 

Canardin  laughed  lightly.  "  Some  day,  Mad- 
emoiselle, I  must  see  that  we  meet — inti- 
mately." 

"  Oh,  but  you  must  not,  Monsieur !  You 

would "  Julie  stopped  herself,  as  she  felt 

Canardin  start  at  this  strange  warmth  of  hers, 
in  his  favor.  "  Can't  we  hide  here  till  morning?  " 
she  hurriedly  changed  the  subject. 

"  The  morning  would  ask  you  questions,"  said 
Canardin  quietly.  "And  Paris  would  furnish 
plenty  of  answers.  It  is  not  alone  the  safety 
of  your  person  that  is  to  be  considered.  Evi- 
dently your  friends  are  going  to  take  care  of 
that!" 

"You  mean,  Monsieur  Canardin ?  This 

means,  then,  that  in  taking  me  to  safety  you 


178       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

have  taken  yourself  into  frightful  danger !  And 
you  expect  me  to  permit  it !  Monsieur ! " 

"  For  the  safety  of  both  of  us,  Mademoiselle, 
will  you  kindly  hold  still?  That  is  asking  much 
of  a  woman,  but  in  this  case " 

Perhaps  it  was  as  well  that  darkness  inter- 
vened between  the  eyes  of  Julie  Lecoigneux  and 
those  which  Canardin  merely  turned  in  her  direc- 
tion at  every  sound  of  her  voice.  As  it  was,  the 
scent  of  her  hair  rose  to  him,  the  fragrance  of  her 
body,  even  through  its  clumsy  wrappages,  and 
the  breath  of  her  words  was  on  his  cheek.  As  this 
also  proposed  a  new  problem  to  Canardin,  danger 
might  lurk  as  long  as  it  liked ! 

So  they  sat  in  quiet,  this  curiously  assorted 
pair,  tossed  together  by  their  own  wayward  ca- 
prices, the  Court  beauty  and  this  hunted  man. 
Used  to  outlandish  situations,  Canardin  thought 
nothing  of  it,  except  that  it  was  wholly  delight- 
ful. Even  Julie  found  herself  accepting  it 
calmly,  because  something  even  nearer  still  to  the 
impossible  had  happened  to  her. 

In  this  fantastic  pass  she  had  got  herself  into, 
facing  real  danger  for  the  first  time  in  her  life 
— or  seeing  it  faced — the  great  lady,  the  profes- 
sional beauty,  the  thoughtless  maker  of  mischief, 
all  the  privileged  personages  comprehended  in 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       179 

her  single  person  had  dropped  away.  Only  the 
woman  remained.  Now  this  woman  was  excited 
and  pleased  to  feel  herself  utterly  safe  with  this 
man  of  a  strange  power.  He  too  had  changed  in 
her  eyes.  The  clown  of  yesterday,  who  only 
amused  her  with  his  drolleries  and  daring,  to- 
night, at  the  Palais  and  now,  had  given  her 
strange  things  to  think  of, — things  that  haunted 
her  memory.  He  seemed  the  one  man  in  France 
she  could  utterly  trust,  and  she  waited,  with  en- 
tire faith  in  his  resources,  for  what  he  would 
say. 

"There,  Mademoiselle,"  he  said  at  length. 
"  Do  you  hear  it?  " 

With  a  shudder  and  a  light  pressure  on  his 
arm,  Julie  caught  the  faint,  far  baying  of  a 
hound, — and  said  nothing. 

"  You  hear  that  because  the  wind,  what  there 
is  of  it,  brings  it  this  way.  But  no  wind  is  taking 
the  least  evidence  of  us  to  that  beast.  And  the 
sound  is  farther  away  than  it  was.  If  it  fades 
still  farther  in  the  next  ten  minutes,  it  is — so 
much  to  the  good !  " 

"  Then  we  may  venture  home?  "  she  asked,  a 
bit  ruefully,  it  seemed  to  Canardin,  unless  some- 
thing played  tricks  with  his  ears. 

"  I'm  afraid  that  is  possible,"  he  laughed  back, 


in  the  same  key.  "  At  least,  I  shall  have  a  strata- 
gem to  propose.  We  must  wait  to  make  sure. 
Please  listen." 

Julie  wished  she  might  speak,  but  obeyed. 
Even  what  she  thought,  she  scarcely  dared  admit 
to  herself,  but  to  put  it  brutally,  this  it  was: 
"  So,  then,  it  is  all  over  after  all.  If  that  is  so, 
this  is  the  very  moment  for  tender  things,  inti- 
mate things!  We  must  be  acquainted,  now  if 
ever !  It  would  be  just  like  him.  I  wonder  if  he 
will  speak." 

He  did. 

"  Mademoiselle,"  he  said,  "  when  I  said  I  was 
sorry  for  this,  I  was  scarcely  trifling,  as  you 
thought." 

This  was  promising. 

"  If  I  repeated  it  now,  I  should  be  trifling. 
Because  I'm  not  sorry." 

"  Nor  am  I !  "  said  Julie  candidly. 

"  Better  wait,  Mademoiselle !  "  said  Canardin 
grimly. 

"  Yes?  "  she  encouraged. 

He  waited,  and  then  ventured,  "  Indeed,  I  was 
about  to  say  something.  But  you  would  think  it 
absurd." 

"  We  can  tell,  when  you  say  it,"  she  gave  a  low 
laugh. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE        181 

"  Absurd  to  you,  but  not  to  me.  To  a  man  like 
myself  there  are  no  absurdities — except  one. 
That  is  " — he  gave  her  no  time  to  ask  what  it 
was — "the  hope  of  such  company  as  yours. 
Never  again  shall  I  be  a  lonely  man,  Mademoi- 
selle! Think  of  that!  I  shall  always  have  the 
recollection  of  this  novel  experience  to  take  with 
me.  I  wanted  to  know  what  it  was  like,  and  " — 
he  turned  to  her  quizzically — "  a  man  in  my  posi- 
tion is  forced  to  hurry." 

"  It  is  coming !  "  she  thought. 

Perhaps  in  Canardin's  own  way  it  did.  "  And 
that  is  why  I  am  not  so  sorry  for  your  alarms  and 
fatigue,  Mademoiselle.  Because  they  will  make 
you  remember  me." 

"  I  don't  believe  such  reminders "  Julie 

started  to  say.  "  Hark !  "  she  whispered  and 
stiffened.  "  What  was  that?  " 

"  I  touched  a  twig  with  my  foot,"  Canardin 
fibbed.  He  too  had  heard  something. 

As  all  remained  quiet,  Julie  was  eager  to  go 
on  with  this  novel  acquaintance.  "  I  do  not 
frighten  easily,  Monsieur.  Believe  that,  please. 
But  this  is  such  a  punishment!  I  might  have 
known  I  should  pay  for  my  mischief  to-night." 
She  laughed  noiselessly.  "  There  were  terrible 
times  at  the  Palais,  after  you  left.  Poor  Armand 


182       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

de  Lavallais !  His  CScile  was  so  disgusted  with 
him !  He  cut  such  a  figure  at  his  first  appearance 
in  Court  circles !  She  tossed  him  over !  But  of 
course,  when  she  learns  the  facts,  she'll  come  to 
his  side — and  save  all  her  venom  for  me !  Surely, 
Monsieur ! "  Julie  broke  off,  "  I  heard  some- 
thing ! " 

They  kept  deathly  still.    But  so  did  the  night. 

"  Every  minute  I  fancy  I  hear  that  man ! " 
Julie  sighed.  "  As  certain  as  death  he  will  seek 
me.  And  those  silly  sheep  who  fled  us  will  hurry 
to  tell  where  I  am,  if  he  meets  them." 

"  Give  me  your  pistols,  Mademoiselle,"  said 
Canardin.  He  took  them. 

"  But  he  will  have  half  of  France  against 
us!" 

"  Most  of  France,  I  have  found,  Mademoiselle," 
laughed  Canardin,  "prefers  to  devote  the  night 
to  slumber ! " 

Perhaps  it  was  purposely  to  shock  her  that 
Canardin  brought  up  this  reminder  of  what  he 
was.  It  seemed  to  her,  nevertheless,  that  he  said 
it  with  a  strange  new  bitterness.  She  laid  her 
hand  on  his  arm  and  said  suddenly : 

"  Who  are  you,  Canardin !  "  And  then  an- 
swered the  question  herself, — "The  one  honest 
man  in  France ! " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       183 

He  only  laughed.  "  No.  Only  a  useless  pro- 
test, Mademoiselle." 

"  Always  Mademoiselle !  Am  I  worth,  no  con- 
fidence ! " 

"  Julie,  then?  The  best  I  can  hope  is  to  set  an 
example,  Julie.  Perhaps  others  will  follow,  to 
copy  it." 

"  And  set  things  right?  " 

"  What  a  humbug  you'll  have  me  be !  "  Can- 
ardin  laughed  outright  and  talked  in  natural 
tones,  as  if  caution  had  ceased  to  matter. 
"  Whereas  I  am  Canardin,  luckiest  of  men !  "  he 
said  gayly.  "  Now  certainly  that !  Thanks  to 
you !  Before  I  had  gone  too  far,  Julie,  I  wanted 
to  make  sure  what  this  was  like.  Now  I  know ! 
Even  though  it  is  the  blackest  of  nights,  and  that 
enchanting  face  of  yours  is  shrouded  in  horse- 
hair!" 

Again  Julie  started  to  snatch  that  away.  And 
again  he  stayed  her. 

"  Besides,  I  have  seen  that  face  of  yours,  when 
you  least  suspected.  And  it  is  not  one  that  is 
lightly  forgotten." 

"Isn't  it?"  said  Julie.  Somehow  this  bluff- 
ness  pleased  her. 

"  And  I  have  come  to  be  a  judge  of  faces." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose !  "  Julie  complained. 


184       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  In  just  this  way.  I  see  them  as  none  other 
does.  Who  would  be  at  pains  to  seem  anything  to 
me — to  one  so  little  worth  the  trouble!  I  see 
them  as  they  are,  because  I  am  Canardin.  Not 
a  single  false  air  to  Canardin,  because  he  has 
nothing  to  offer.  Not  the  smallest  slight 
— he  is  not  worth  even  that.  Such  a  one 
has  ceased  to  be  merely  a  man.  He  is  an  ad- 
miration. He  is  a  post,  a  tree,  with  a  pair  of 
eyes." 

"  Do  the  eyes  never  yearn,  Monsieur  Can- 
ardin? "  Something  of  the  old  mischief  had 
crept  into  Julie's  voice. 

"  It  is  their  own  affair,"  Canardin  swept  on. 
"  In  a  moment  we  must  be  going.  When  I  spied 
over  the  wall  a  while  ago,  I  saw  a  boat  tied  up 
at  the  bank.  As  soon  as  it  is  safe  to  cover  those 
hundred  paces,  we  drop  over  the  wall.  Once  out 
on  the  water,  our  trail  is  lost ;  not  an  eye  can  see 
us.  A  half  hour's  scull,  and  we  are  under  the 
Pont  du  Louvre.  It  is  over.  I  wonder  if  you  will 
remember  my  gratitude." 

This  shocking  ease  of  escape  let  Julie  down 
with  a  jar.  How  pleasant  had  been  the  tingle 
of  all  this  came  to  her  with  the  sense  that  Paris 
and  safety  lay  but  round  the  corner.  Moreover, 
though  they  may  be  fated  to  come  to  nothing,  a 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE        185 

woman  likes  to  toy  with  tender  themes.  So 
does  'a  man.  Canardin  conscientiously  went 
on. 

"  Adieux  come  hard,  dear  lady.  Some  harder 
than  others.  But  now,  be  it  short  or  long,  my 
life  is  enriched!  Thanks  to  you.  I  speak  of 
these  things  with  the  only  honest  sentiment  I 
possess, — the  misgiving  that  I  am  a  fraud.  My 
part  is  to  laugh,  only.  And  yet,  sometimes,  it 
comes  over  even  me  that  the  celebrated  divinity 
in  woman  is  after  all  a  little  more  solid  than  a 
poet's  fancy.  At  least  one  thing  has  been  set  up 
in  creation  that  men  may  worship.  The  home- 
liest hag  has  her  share  of  that  magic.  Some  poor 
man  adores  her.  I  envy  that  man.  Sometimes, 
to  be  honest,  I  cease  to  be  an  admiration  and  be- 
come a  man !  "  Canardin  laughed. 

The  low  laugh  ended.  Nothing  was  audible 
but  the  lapping  of  the  Seine  against  its  stones. 
The  world  seemed  disembodied  and  empty, — un- 
til Julie  spoke. 

"  It  is  a  beautiful  sentiment,  Canardin.  But 
I  wonder  if  it  is  so  satisfying  as  a  hearty  em- 
brace." 

"  I "  Canardin  turned  and  his  two  arms 

opened — and  remained  in  that  gesture  of  yearn- 
ing, of  anticipation.  And  dropped.  "On  that 


point  you  must  consult  an  authority,"  he  laughed 
quietly.  "I  dare  not  torture  myself  with  such 
knowledge,  Julie.  I  am  an  authority  only  on 
what  it  is  to  be  Canardin  —  when  the  beautiful 
pass."  He  waited,  and  then  slithered  off  into  a 
lighter  key.  "What  an  indignity  upon  woman 
that  there  should  be  degrees  of  beauty!  They 
should  have  it  alike.  Whereas,  it  is  but  once  in 
a  lifetime  —  and  only  that  once  provided  he  is 
lucky  —  that  a  man  looks  into  a  face  that  actually 
dazzles,  that  blinds  him,  so  that  he  scarcely  dare 
look.  And  looking,  his  vision  fairly  swims  be- 
fore the  sight.  Nothing  in  that  face  is  to  be  seen 
clearly,  because  too  much  is  there  to  be  seen.  It 
is  her  eyes!  he  decides,  if  he  dares  to  look  into 
them  long  enough.  That  smile  —  it  is  blinding. 
It  is  the  tint  of  her  cheek,  the  curve  of  her  lip,  the 
tossing  of  her  black  hair!  It  is  the  texture  of 
her  skin,  the  music  of  her  laughter  !  It  is  a  bom- 
bardment of  these  !  It  is  a  flood  of  them,  a  cata- 
ract of  charms  !  Before  such  an  onslaught  a  man 
is  swept  helpless  —  and  happy.  He  kisses  wisdom 
adieu.  He  offers  himself  to  be  overwhelmed! 
Beyond  that  he  asks  nothing  !  " 


to  admire!  " 

;  gently,  perhaps  a 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       187 

little  dizzy  on  these  unwonted  altitudes  of  seri- 
ousness. 

"And — you  have  seen  such  a  face?"  Julie 
asked. 

"  I — have  seen  such  a  face,"  he  mocked  her 
gently.  "And  I  will  answer  another  question, 
which  you  want — and  fear — to  ask.  The  face  is 
yours.  Oh,"  he  now  said  fully,  even  hurriedly, 
"  I  have  been  as  free  as  any  wild  thing — rioting 
in  freedom,  above  every  law.  But  there  is  a 
force  that  reduces  the  strongest  to  bondage.  It 
is  the  force  of  a  woman's  charm.  No  man  is 
above  it.  No  man  can  escape  it.  I  knew  that,  the 
moment  I  saw  you  for  the  first.  And  I  could  sur- 
render the  more  abjectly,  because  it  mattered 
so  little.  As  nothing  else  was  permitted  me,  at 
least  I  could  think !  " 

"And  what  did  you  think,  Monsieur?"  Julie 
murmured. 

"You  see!  To  you  I  consist  of  words,  and 
there  is  an  end  of  the  matter.  To  me  you  are  like 
a  star — as  wonderful,  and  as  far  away.  There 
is  another  matter  ended.  That  is  one  of  the 
things  I  thought.  The  rest  would  only  amuse 
you." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure." 

"  I  am.    It  has  taken  you  to  stir  me — and  you 


188       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

are  the  last  person  on  earth  to  be  concerned  over 
that." 

"  Perhaps,  Monsieur  " — Julie  herself  wondered 
at  her  own  hardihood  in  words! — "there  are 
forces  that  a  woman,  too,  cannot  escape !  " 

"  Then  she  must  be  saved  them.  There  is  some- 
thing that  seems  to  have  been  forgotten." 

"That  is ?" 

"  That  I  am  Canardin." 

Julie  had  brought  her  eyes  as  close  as  she 
dared  to  Canardin's,  to  read  what  she  could  in 
the  darkness.  In  the  daylight  he  would  probably 
have  used  fewer  words,  and  his  face  would  have 
been  even  more  inscrutable.  "  You  have  told 
me  something  important,  Monsieur  Canardin," 
she  said.  And  before  he  could  mock  her  as  he 
was  sure  to  do,  she  told  him  what  it  was.  "  That 
you  are  a  frightfully  hungry  and  lonely  man." 

Half  rising,  Canardin  answered  rapidly, 
hardly  heeding  what  he  said.  Perhaps  he  had 
scarcely  heard  Julie.  "  True !  How  one  craves 
to  be  liked.  And  remembered.  Especially  that ! 
Even  I!  Julie,  could  you  find  that  possible  in 
my  case?  Could  you  be  so  good  as  to  keep  me  in 
mind  for  a  little  while?  Because — look!"  he 
said  in  her  ear.  "  There !  Along  the  wall !  In 
a  minute  you  will  see  his  hat.  The  boat  I  spoke 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       189 

of  was  full  of  men.  Do  as  I  say.  Step  into  the 
middle  of  the  road  and  be  walking  toward  Paris. 
Here,  first — one  of  your  pistols.  You  may  want 
at  least  one  shot." 

He  drew  her  up,  trembling  like  a  leaf,  and 
pushed  her  gently  into  the  road,  and  sent  her  off. 
"  Everything  depends  on  your  courage  now, 
Julie!  Where  is  all  that  spirit,  that  scathing 
humor,  that  biting  scorn !  Did  you  save  it  all  for 
Canardin?  "  he  laughed  finally  in  her  ear. 

"  But  you ?  "    She  tried  to  cling  to  him. 

"  Will  stay  by  at  least  till  death — and  after- 
ward tell  you  a  real  ghost  story ! " 

"  Ra-a-a !  "  came  over  the  wall,  at  once  identi- 
fying the  source  of  the  roar.  A  head  followed  the 
sound.  Ten  others  followed.  In  the  middle  of  the 
road,  but  standing  still,  Canardin  had  kept  the 
spot  covered  with  a  pistol.  Before  he  saw  the 
need  of  a  shot,  there  was  a  rush  past  Julie  toward 
himself. 

"  The  beggars  were  right !  She's  where  they 
said !  That's  she !  You  heard  the  ninnies !  Not 
a  scratch  for  her,  mind !  Who  jostles  her,  dies ! 
Here's  the  jackal  we're  after ! " 

With  no  guide  but  Morbihan's  voice,  Canardin 
swept  his  pistol  hand  about,  among  the  scuffling 
figures  in  the  road,  fearful  of  hitting  Julie  if  he 


190       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

fired,  still  doubting  the  need  of  a  shot,  or  the 
good  of  one,  against  such  numbers,  in  his  own 
defence.  Before  he  could  decide,  the  night  which 
had  been  black  to  his  eyes  became  suddenly 
soundless  to  his  ears.  Fit  to  split  him  open,  a 
blade  came  down  across  his  head  from  behind 
him. 

"  That  is  not  Canardin !  "  he  heard  Julie  cry, 
as  if  from  afar  off.  "  It's  one  of  Trevours's  cap- 
tains ! " 

"  Toss  him  over  to  the  dogs !  What's  left  of 
him  we'll  pick  up  to-morrow !  "  the  voice  of  Mor- 
bihan  faded  off.  And  what  was  afterward  said 
Canardin  failed  to  hear. 

In  the  morning  he  found  himself  lying  under  a 
bush  at  the  foot  of  the  wall,  automatically  re- 
vived by  an  occasional  wave  from  the  Seine.  Or 
was  it  the  strange  dog,  with  the  heavy  welts 
across  its  back,  licking  his  face?  On  feeling 
himself  over  for  injuries,  Canardin  discovered  a 
frightful  gash, — in  the  iron  lining  of  his  hat. 


CHAPTER  XI 

ON  returning  to  Paris,  Canardin  found  cer- 
tain annoyances  awaiting  Mm  there.  To 
begin  with  the  lighter  ones  first,  the  traitorous 
Bonbouche  had  been  tossed  into  prison,  the 
"  bank "  in  the  Rue  Beauchaine  raided,  and  a 
small  amount  of  plunder  recovered, — what  sum 
Canardin  had  not  prudently  removed  in  advance. 
As  a  result  of  the  frightful  farce  enacted  at  Ver- 
sailles, under  the  eyes  of  the  King,  Trevours  had 
been  driven  from  office  in  disgrace.  De  Braille 
himself  had  felt  the  sting  of  rebuke  for  his  laxity. 
Rumor  had  it  that  he  had  even  fled  from  France, 
in  his  remorse.  All  the  work  of  Morbihan,  nat- 
urally. 

Whatever  twinges  these  things  brought  to  Can- 
ardin's  conscience,  he  bore  them  with  his  ac- 
customed fortitude.  It  was  something  more  of 
an  annoyance  that  the  Due  de  Morbihan,  finding 
that  he  had  after  all  brought  down  the  celebrated 
disturber,  took  such  noisy  credit  to  himself  for 
the  feat.  But  in  spite  of  that  Canardin  suffered 
the  news  of  his  death  to  circulate  about  the  capi- 


192       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

tal  without  contradiction.  Needing  a  rest  in 
any  case,  he  found  it  convenient  to  be  dead. 
More  than  once  before,  when  it  suited  his  pur- 
pose, he  had  relieved  one  Paris  with  the  fact  of 
his  death, — till  it  pleased  him  to  relieve  another 
Paris  with  the  fact  of  his  resurrection.  Now, 
moreover,  there  rested  in  Canardin's  hands  an 
interest  transcending  every  other  and  calling  for 
the  utmost  quiet  in  its  working  out. 

Not  Canardin  alone  was  perturbed,  but  Paris 
itself  was  scandalized,  and  proportionately  grate- 
ful for  a  new  interest,  at  the  disappearance  of 
Julie  Lecoigneux. 

For  a  fortnight  Canardin  watched  for  himself, 
and  listened  in  vain  to  the  Paris  gossip  for  clues. 
The  Chateau  de  Grammont,  he  found,  owned  to  a 
far  greater  anguish  than  Paris,  but  to  an  equal 
ignorance  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  Julie.  Fi- 
nally, however,  Canardin  thought  he  caught  a 
gleam,  and  turned  his  back  on  the  spiteful 
stories  and  on  Paris,  and  himself  withdrew, — 
close  upon  the  absence  of  the  Due  de  Morbihan. 

In  consequence  the  country  round  about  soon 
had  cause  to  lament  that  Paris  had  given  Can- 
ardin cause  for  so  much  resentment.  His  follow- 
ers seemed  to  have  swelled  to  an  army.  And 
their  leader,  now  as  high-handed  as  he  had  once 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       193 

been  high-minded,  seemed  to  take  less  careful  aim 
at  the  objects  of  his  interest.  The  puzzling  thing 
about  him  was  that  money  and  other  material 
wealth  no  longer  appeared  to  suit  him.  One 
after  the  other  he  entered  even  the  dwellings  of 
those  well  able  to  refer  their  spotless  honesty  to 
Jehovah  Himself.  Some  of  them  he  entered,  at 
the  head  of  his  band,  in  broad  daylight.  Invari- 
ably he  turned  everything  upside  down,  invari- 
ably he  left  with  his  hands  empty  but  himself 
full  of  spleen,  evidently  defrauded  of  the  mys- 
terious thing,  whatever  it  was,  that  he  was  after. 
At  length  this  pillage  also  ceased,  and  now  the 
rumor  was  that  Canardin  had  been  driven  from 
France  itself. 

This  persisted  until  the  day  when  Monsieur 
de  Lavallais — he  was  now  a  "  De  " — received  at 
his  new  apartments  in  Paris  a  certain  stranger, 
weary,  woebegone,  bedraggled,  and  terribly 
frightened.  To  any  one  of  merely  extraordinary 
penetration  this  fellow  would  have  brought  the 
news  that  at  last  Canardin  had  hit  upon  the 
wanted  stratagem.  De  Lavallais  was  indeed 
amused,  but  not  at  once  enlightened. 

"You  are  Monsieur ?"  he  began  to  the 

trembling  old  figure  before  him. 

"  I  am  the  town  provost  of  Fericourt,  Excel- 


194       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

lency."  Beyond  that  the  poor  man  was  unable 
to  say  anything,  and  only  handed  De  Lavallais 
a  slip  of  folded  paper. 

Prepared  to  be  bored  or  annoyed  by  a  beggar, 
De  Lavallais  was  electrified  instead.  The  paper 
read,  in  the  well-remembered  hand  of  Canardin : 

44  This  man  has  captured  me.  He  wants  a  rep- 
utation. Give  him  one.  Above  all,  notify  De 
Morbihan." 

As  no  inward  stir  ever  broke  down  De  Laval- 
lais?s  outward  caution,  he  laid  the  paper  on  the 
desk  before  him,  and  for  safety  kept  it  under  the 
flat  of  his  hand.  "  Who  wrote  that?  "  he  asked. 

The  man  was  hardly  able  to  speak  for  excite- 
ment, "It  was  given  me,"  he  stuttered,  "by 
Monsieur  Canardin  himself.  I  saw  him  write 
it." 

"  That  is  to  say,  you  saw  it  written?  " 

"I  have  so  testified,  your  Honor.  Monsieur 
Canardin  did  it  with  his  own  hand!  And  gave 
it  me  to  bring  you ! n 

u  A  man,  you  mean,  who  said  he  was  Canardin. 
It  is  an  old  trick,  my  man.  You  are  really  the 
provost  of  Fericourt?  Show  me  your  papers." 

In  gathering  confidence,  and  as  proud  as  a  pea- 
cock now,  the  old  fellow  drew  from  his  pocket  a 
tattered  and  soiled  commission  which  seemed  to 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       195 

satisfy  De  Lavallais,  though  he  grudged  to  say 
so. 

"  And  the  man  pretended  to  be  Canardin?  " 

"  He  said  you  would  recognize  the  handwrit- 
ing, your  Honor ! " 

Much  as  he  hated  to  admit  it,  the  scalawag 
was  convincing  De  Lavallais.  Noticing  as  much, 
the  broken-down  provost  let  loose  a  thunderbolt 
From  another  pocket  he  produced  a  small  parcel, 
wrapped  in  many  folds  of  thin  paper,  which  he 
turned  over  to  his  examiner.  "Monsieur  Can- 
ardin said  he  would  one  day  take  my  head  off  if 
I  gave  it  to  any  but  you,"  he  handed  out,  along 
with  the  parcel.  "  And  by  my  faith,  Monsieur, 
I  believe  he  would  do  it!  There  is  something 
about  that  man " 

De  Lavallais  had  been  unfolding,  this  while, 
and  now  tumbled  out  of  its  wrappages,  with  a 
surprise  that  even  he  was  hard  put  to  conceal,  a 
certain  green  jade  ring.  With  this  balanced  in 
his  palm,  he  shot  a  piercing  look  at  the  pro- 
vost. 

"  He  told  me— did  Monsieur  Canardin — that 
if  you  doubted  the  handwriting,  he  thought  that 
might  convince  you." 

"  There  is  only  one  of  these,"  said  De  Lavallais 
severely.  "  And  that  is  in  the  possession " 


196       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  Begging  your  Honor's  pardon,  that  is  pre- 
cisely what  Monsieur  Canardin  warned  me  you 
would  say.  It  was  in  the  possession  of  Mademoi- 
selle C6cile  de  Gourmont " 

"  De  Grammont?  "  De  Lavallais  corrected. 

"  That  was  the  name !  And  he  had  been 
obliged  to  withdraw  it,  craving  your  indul- 
gence, because  it  had  been  too  freely  dis- 
played." 

"  One  moment,  Monsieur.  Be  seated,  if  you 
please."  As  the  provost  willingly  did  so,  De 
Lavallais  called  a  secretary,  whom  he  kept  wait- 
ing while  he  dashed  off  a  note  in  his  own  hand. 
"  Take  this  at  once,"  he  said  to  his  functionary. 
"  Mademoiselle  is  with  the  Duchesse  des  Larmes 
to-day.  If  she  cannot  come  in  person,  ask  her  to 
answer  at  once." 

The  young  secretary  vanished,  and  De  Laval- 
lais again  addressed  himself  to  the  quivering 
figure  waiting  on  the  edge  of  a  chair  before  him. 
"You  will  admit,  Monsieur,"  he  said,  "this  is 
extraordinary.  Let  us  grant  for  the  moment, 
however,  that  you  are  correct  in  your  assump- 
tions." 

This  language  of  insult,  which  he  scarcely 
understood,  delighted  the  old  fellow.  "  Oh,  Mon- 
sieur, I  assure  you " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       197 

De  Lavallais  raised  his  hand.  "  You  are  aware 
that  for  years  Canardin  has  eluded  the  most  de- 
termined pursuit  of  France." 

"  That  is  what  he  reminded  me,  Monsieur ! " 
the  provost  proudly  reported. 

"  Yet  his  capture  has  fallen  to  you !  I  have 
no  wish  to  disparage,  Monsieur  Provost,  either 
your  veracity  as  a  man  or  your  ability  as  an 
officer.  Yet  you  will  see  that  this  is  most  un- 
expected." 

"  Those,  your  Honor,  are  the  very  words  Mon- 
sieur Canardin  put  into  your  mouth  when  he 
prepared  me  to  meet  you !  " 

"  H'm !  "  said  De  Lavallais.  It  was  annoying 
to  have  Canardin  taking  the  cleverness  right  out 
of  his  mouth.  That  fact  alone  established  the 
absolute  authenticity  of  the  provost's  capture. 
"  What  the  devil  is  he  up  to ! "  De  Lavallais 
pondered.  Aloud  he  said,  "  H'm !  Granting,  of 
course,  that  it  is  the  veritable  Canardin  you  have 
apprehended,  you — still  have  him?  And  well 
guarded?  " 

"Oh,  your  Honor,  he  faithfully  promised  to 
remain  until  I  returned !  At  the  very  least  until 
then !  On  his  word  of  honor !  He  said  he  wanted 
to  make  sure  I  had  carried  out  his  errand,  or 
he'd  knock  off  my  damned  old  block  of  a  head! 


198       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

And  by  the  Lord  Jupiter,  your  Honor,  I  believe 
he'd  do  it!" 

"  No  doubt,"  said  De  Lavallais.  "  He — didn't, 
of  course,  confide  to  you  just  what  he  had  in  mind 
in  sending  you  on  this  errand?  " 

"  Indeed  he  did,  Monsieur.  It  was  extremely 
good  of  him.  He  said  it  was  to  give  me  a  reputa- 
tion. To  secure  my  future." 

"  That  seems  to  be  a  hobby  of  his,"  De  Laval- 
lais admitted,  chiefly  to  himself,  with  the  sus- 
picion of  a  smile. 

"  He  did  say  he  hoped  you  might  return  with 
me." 

"  Said  that,  did  he?  "  De  Lavallais  was  alert 
at  that. 

"  But  I  assure  you,  Excellency,  that  is  unneces- 
sary. You  would  not,  I  am  sure,  take  anything 
away  from  my  glory?  " 

"Whatever  you  deserve  shall  be  yours,  my 
good  fellow,"  De  Lavallais  nodded  graciously, 
the  more  so  because  he  thought  he  began  to  see 
through  Canardin's  wiles.  "  On  second  thought, 
I  think  I  had  better  accompany  you." 

"  But  he  is  my  prisoner,  your  Honor !  He  said 
so  himself !  I  am  sure  Monsieur  Canardin  meant 
to  see  to  that  himself !  " 

"  Be  it  so.    When  can  you  start,  Monsieur?  " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       199 

"The  question,  Excellency,  is  only  whenever 
you  choose." 

"We  can  arrange  that,"  De  Lavallais  cau- 
tioned himself  against  his  own  rash  impulses, 
"  when  I  have  had  a  reply  to  my  note.  In  the 
meantime,  would  you  be  good  enough  to  give  me 
some  account  of  how  you  accomplished  this 
extraordinary  capture  of  Monsieur  Can- 
ardin?  " 

"Well,  Monsieur," — the  aged  provost  nerv- 
ously grasped  his  hat  between  his  hands,  cleared 
his  throat,  and  leaned  still  farther  and  more  con- 
fidentially forward.  "  It  was  this  way.  I  am  a 
modest  man,  and  will  not  lay  it  on.  It  was 
simple.  You  see,  it  was  a  rainy  night,  a  nasty 
night.  On  such  a  night  one  craves  society.  Feri- 
court  is  a  shockingly  orderly  place.  And  the 
provost  is  paid  in  a  manner  exactly  opposite  to 
justice.  He  should  be  paid  a  fee  for  the  order  he 
brings,  and  not  for  the  occasional  thief  who  is 
kind  enough  to  visit  the  town.  It  is  not  only  a 
poorly  paid  duty,  it  is  a  lonely  duty  to  be  tramp- 
ing the  empty  and  sleepy  streets  in  the  rain.  So 
I  drop  into  the  tavern,  where  I  hope  some  kind 
soul  will  buy  what  I  cannot  afford  for  myself, — 
a  warm  bite  and  a  drop  o'  drink.  And  that  is 
precisely  what  happens." 


A  smile,  which  the  provost  was  too  absorbed  in 
his  enthusiastic  narrative  to  notice,  was  spread- 
ing on  De  Lavallais's  face. 

"  For  a  long  while  I  am  left  in  a  corner.  The 
office  of  provost  in  Fericourt,  Monsieur,  has 
fallen  into  rust  and  disrespect.  No  feats  are  per- 
mitted one,  no  reputation.  That  is  what  Mon- 
sieur Canardin  was  kind  enough  to  observe,  on 
his  own  account.  I  saw  that  man  sitting  by  the 
fire,  extremely  modest  and  retired.  He  seemed 
very  tired,  even  sad.  But,  Monsieur,  that  man's 
eyes  see  all,  his  ears  catch  everything.  He  reads 
the  very  heart  of  a  man.  In  no  great  while  he 
beckons  me  to  him,  where  none  has  deigned  to 
notice  me  before. 

"  *  Sit  down,'  he  says,  so  that  all  observe  this 
extraordinary  courtesy  to  me,  the  mere  provost. 
'  You  are  the  provost  here,'  he  next  says. 

"  '  Yes,  Monsieur,'  I  owned  to  it.  '  How  did 
you  guess  it?  * 

" '  You  look  so  poor  and  hungry,'  he  answers, 
so  kind.  'Will  you  sup  with  me?'  And  while 
a  most  excellent  fowl  is  served,  and  such  wine 
as  only  our  Monsieur  Connard  alone  buys  for  his 
table,  the  gentleman  surprises  me.  '  Have  you  a 
convenient  jail  in  the  place?'  he  asks,  as  if  the 
idea  had  just  occurred  to  him.  He  seemed  to  be 


pleased  at  something  of  a  sudden.  *  I'm  sure  I 
should  prefer  it  to  this,'  he  says.  With  that,  the 

landlord To  cut  it  all  short,  Monsieur,  a 

terrible  fight  ensues,  which  would  have  spoiled 
my  supper,  but  for  a  startling  occurrence.  The 
gentleman  starts  up  with  a  pistol  in  each  hand. 
Where  they  came  from  the  Lord  only  knows.  And 
he  has  only  to  say,  very  quiet-like,  '  I  should  be 
sorry  to  take  advantage  of  you,  gentlemen.  But 
I  happen  to  be  Monsieur  Canardin,'  and  the  place 
is  cleared  as  if  by  magic.  Indeed,  your  Excel- 
lency, in  order  to  obtain  witnesses  all  in  due 
form,  as  he  was  kind  enough  to  explain,  he  was 
obliged  to  go  out  in  the  rain  and  drive  some  of 
them  in  again,  at  the  point  of  his  pistol,  with 
their  eyes  popping  out  of  their  head.  I  give  you 
my  word,  your  Honor,  I  was  myself  in  some- 
thing of  a  quiver, — from  delight,  you  understand, 
at  the  great  good  fortune  which  had  come  upon 
me." 

"  I  begin  to  understand,"  said  Monsieur  de 
Lavallais  with  a  smile. 

"  '  But,  Monsieur  Canardin ! '  I  said.  '  I  have 
nothing  against  you! ' 

" l  One  moment/  said  he,  and  puts  a  pewter 
saltcellar  into  his  pocket.  '  There,'  says  he. 
'It's  not  the  worth  o'  the  thing,  but  the  idea. 


202       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

They're  always  wanting  to  put  that  on  my  tail, 
and  I  can't  have  it.  I  don't  know  how  many  of 
those  things  I  have  had  to  put  out  of  harm's  way. 
Now,  then,  Monsieur  Provost ! '  And  will  you 
believe  it,  that  man  makes  a  speech  to  those  half 
dozen  loafers  hiding  behind  tables  and  settles, 
as  much  in  my  favor  as  if  he'd  known  me  for  life. 
'Now,  then,  Monsieur  Provost/  he  comes  to  an 
end.  *  You  have  captured  Canardin.  As  it  is  a 
bad  night,  I  hope  it  is  not  far  to  the  jail.  To 
make  sure  that  you  are  properly  rewarded,  I'll 
attend  to  that  myself.  Here  is  your  fee.'  He 
pulls  out  of  his  pocket  a  coin  of  gold  fit  to  dazzle 
the  king.  There  it  is."  Monsieur  the  Provost 
proudly  wrenched  the  thing  from  his  wallet  in 
proof. 

"  '  As  these  gentlemen  have  assisted  you  in  my 
arrest,  they  also  deserve  something,'  says  Mon- 
sieur Canardin,  and  tosses  them  a  handful  of 
silver.  '  Might  I  ask,'  he  winds  up,  '  as  a  favor,' 
he  says  most  graciously, '  that  in  return  you  will 
go  about  and  spread  the  news  of  my  capture  at 
the  hands  of  this  gallant  gentleman,  your  pro- 
vost?' And  as  they  are  only  too  eager  for  an 
excuse  to  leave,  without  the  appearance  of  being 
impolite,  they  go  in  a  hurry.  He  pays  his  bill 
with  another  gold  coin,  all  in  a  manner  so  hand- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       203 

some  that  one  is  forced  to  admire  such  a  man. 
'  Now,  Monsieur,  I  am  at  your  service,'  he  says 
to  me.  What  was  my  mortification,  your  Honor," 
the  provost  wound  up,  more  confidentially  still, 
"  that  we  should  be  kept  waiting  an  hour  in  the 
rain  till  I  could  get  the  jail  opened  for  his  ac- 
commodation. Yet  in  the  politest  manner  in  the 
world  he  dismissed  me  when  I  showed  him  to  his 
cell.  And  though  I  waited  about  to  see  if  there 
were  anything  else  I  could  do  for  him,  he  flung 
himself  down  on  the  hard  boards,  and  went  to 
sleep  like  a  child.  And  there  he  is." 

"  H'm !  "  said  Monsieur  de  Lavallais,  swinging 
about  as  if  to  study  the  matter  against  the  sky 
through  a  window,  but  really  to  hide  his  features. 
"  I  suppose  your  gallant  and  truly  remarkable 
capture  created  some  excitement?  " 

"  There's  those  in  Fericourt  that  don't  yet  be- 
lieve it.  But,  Monsieur,  there  he  is !  " 

"  H'm ! "  said  De  Lavallais,  to  cover  another 
thought  in  his  head :  "  What  the  devil  was  that 
move  for?  "  While  he  was  studying  that  ques- 
tion, the  breathless  secretary  returned  with  a 
scented  missive,  which  De  Lavallais  took  and 
tore  open  with  even  more  than  his  customary 
eagerness. 

"  Armand,  you  jewel !  "  it  ran.    "  I  was  afraid 


204       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

to  tell  you  I  had  lost  that  ring !  Where  did  you 
find  it?  And  when  will  you  bring  it?  " 

De  Lavallais  turned  to  the  old  provost,  still 
with  a  smile,  but  with  more  respect  on  his  face. 
The  smile  was  at  thought  of  the  amusement  of 
Paris  when  he  should  spread  this  news, — or  at 
least  this  story.  "  You  say,  Monsieur  Provost, 
that  Monsieur  Canardin  particularly  wanted  to 
see  me?  " 

The  old  fellow  fumbled  his  hat  in  a  bit  of  em- 
barrassment. "  Well,  your  Honor,  he  did  say  as 
much.  I  put  that  in  to  impress  you.  What  he 
said  was  that  he  knew  you'd  be  glad  to  hear  the 
news.  And  so  might  this  here  Mademoiselle — 
Mademoiselle " 

"  Mademoiselle  de  Grammont?  " 

"  The  same.  But  in  particular,  your  Honor,  in 
particular,  he  seemed  anxious  for  the  news  to  get 
to  the  Due  de  Morbihan.  He  thought  you  might 
get  it  to  him.  He  said — I'll  tell  you  exactly  what 
he  said." 

The  provost  leaned  across  the  desk  and  whis- 
pered to  De  Lavallais  that  which  clarified  a  mys- 
tery which  should  have  been  clear  to  him  from 
the  beginning. 

"  He  said, '  If  this  doesn't  fetch  that  hell-hound 
out  of  his  hiding,  I'll  complain  to  the  King ! ' 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       205 

It  don't  exactly  sound  like  language  meant  for  a 
Due.  But  I  feel  certain,  your  Excellency,  it 
wasn't  meant  for  you." 

"When  did  this  happen? "  De  Lavallais  was 
moved  to  action. 

"Kight  before  last." 

"  The  news  has  spread?  " 

"  All  over.  Like  lightning.  But  there's  those 
that  don't  believe  it!  And  there  he  is!  Eight 
where  I  put  him !  " 

"  Come  with  me,"  said  De  Lavallais,  rising 
abruptly.  "  A  man  who  has  accomplished  what 
you  have  done  deserves  to  be  suitably  recognized. 
I  must  introduce  you  to  a  bit  of  society.  You 
shall  have  your  reputation.  Monsieur  Canardin's 
command  must  not  be  ignored.  I  want  the 
Duchesse  des  Larmes  and  Mademoiselle  de 
Grammont  to  hear  your  story.  Etienne,"  he 
turned  to  his  secretary,  "  procure  a  coach  for  my- 
self and  the  provost." 

"  Lor',  your  Honor ! "  the  provost  shivered 
anew.  "What  language  shall  I  speak  to  a 
duchesse ! " 

"The  language,  Monsieur,  of  the  captor  of 
Canardin." 


CHAPTER  XII 

BY  the  hardest  of  traveling  it  was  a  day's 
journey  to  Fericourt,  and  much  can  happen 
in  the  course  of  a  day.  The  accumulation  of 
fatigue,  for  example.  As  De  Lavallais  knew, 
Cecile  had  no  sooner  heard  the  provost's  account 
than  she  commanded  an  instant  errand  to  Feri- 
court.  As  the  journey  was  formidable  and  the 
day  well  spent,  he  was  indeed  able  to  postpone 
it  until  the  following  morning.  Her  anxiety 
then,  at  the  start,  was  boundless,  and  it  gathered 
momentum  along  the  way. 

"  They'll  have  his  head  off  before  we  get 
there !  "  she  complained  at  every  mile. 

In  vain  De  Lavallais  upheld  the  formalities  of 
the  law  against  such  indignities  of  haste. 

"  If  Morbihan  gets  there  ahead  of  us,  you  know 
very  well  what  will  happen !  He  carries  a  King's 
mandate  for  that  express  purpose.  And  with  or 
without  that,  he  would  act  as  he  pleased.  And 
let  the  consequences  take  care  of  themselves." 

"  He  is  at  least  smoked  out  of  his  hiding,  my 
own." 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       207 

"  Thanks  to  Canardin,"  she  retorted.  "  And 
perhaps  at  Canardin's  own  expense.  Think  of 
that,  my  dear  Armand." 

As  there  was  no  appeasing  the  imperious  lady 
on  that  score,  De  Lavallais  thought  of  something 
else.  "  Perhaps  we  may  drag  some  news  of  Julie 
out  of  your  friend  Morbihan.  If  we  are  fortunate 
enough  to  see  him." 

The  effect  of  that  was  electrical.  De  Lavallais 
received  a  smart  clip  on  his  shoulder.  "  Armand ! 
I  am  utterly  surprised  that  you  have  not  seen 
it  before!" 

"  Seen  what,  my  dear?  " 

"  Kot  even  now  do  you  see  it !  That  that  has 
been  Canardin's  purpose  in  all  this  rigmarole ! " 

Inasmuch  as  Ce"cile  herself  had  but  just  caught 
the  point,  De  Lavallais  would  have  said  some- 
thing regarding  the  injustice  of  this  rebuke,  but 
that  he  was  learning  the  ways  of  women. 

At  Fe"ricourt  Ce"cile  laid  prompt  claim  not  only 
to  the  privileges  of  a  De  Grammont  but  of  a 
woman.  In  no  time  she  had  herself,  her  duenna, 
and  her  retinue  established  at  the  inn.  In  no 
time  further  she  had  herself  driven  to  the  dingy 
little  building  set  aside  as  a  jail.  About  it  was 
gathered  a  crowd  composed  of  the  population  of 
Fe"ricourt  and  the  entire  countryside  for  miles 


208       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

about.  With  difficulty  a  way  was  made  for 
Cecile's  coach,  and  the  already  hysterical  excite- 
ment of  the  crowd  was  hoist  to  a  still  higher 
pitch  at  the  scene  which  ensued  when  she  stopped 
and  opened  her  door. 

From  the  barred  portal  of  the  little  jail  a  burly 
man,  broad  and  swarthy,  and  of  such  rank  that 
the  mob  automatically  parted  before  him,  was 
issuing  as  if  to  meet  her.  Seeing  Cecile  and  the 
somewhat  astonished  De  Lavallais  beside  her, 
this  worthy  lifted  his  hat,  swept  her  a  magnifi- 
cent obeisance,  and  then  burst  into  an  uproarious 
guffaw. 

"  Morbihan ! "  she  cried,  so  that  every  one 
gasped  at  his  identity.  "  You  here !  What  have 
you  done  with  that  man?  " 

For  a  moment  Morbihan  could  not  answer  for 
laughing.  "Your — your  Canardin  is  past,"  he 
choked  out,  "  past  all  worries !  Even  yours, 
my  dear  C6cile ! "  And  his  laughter  began 
again. 

C6cile  swept  down  from  the  coach  and  blazed 
straight  toward  him,  as  the  crowd  fell  back  in  a 
new  direction.  He  barred  her  way.  "  Let  me 
in,"  she  flared  up  at  him.  "  Where  is  he?  " 

Morbihan  stepped  aside,  motioned  her  on  with 
a  flourish  of  his  hat,  and  only  halted  further 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       209 

laughter  to  say,  "  Proceed,  Mademoiselle.  Go  in. 
See  for  yourself." 

"  Armand !  "  Cecile  summoned  her  faithful. 
"  Support  me."  And  Armand  obeyed.  "  As  for 
you,  Monsieur !  "  Cecile  turned  upon  Morbihan 
again.  "  In  one  hour  you  will  attend  me  at  the 
inn.  It  is  not  an  invitation,  Monsieur  le  Due ;  it 
is  a  command."  And  she  swept  into  the  little 
building. 

In  a  little  room  near  the  entrance  a  judge  was 
holding  session  in  the  manner  of  an  inquest,  now 
evidently  nearly  finished.  One  or  two  last  quak- 
ing witnesses  remained  to  be  examined;  those 
who  had  gone  before  were  huddled  about  on  old 
benches,  their  faces  filled  with  fright.  The  Judge 
seemed  more  angry  than  otherwise  disturbed,  so 
indignant,  in  fact,  that  he  suffered  Cecile  to  enter 
and  listen  without  a  challenge.  Verily  indig- 
nant, she  thought,  at  this  palpable  misuse  of  the 
law. 

"  No  one  entered  this  building !  No  one  left  it ! 
No  one  saw  any  one  enter  or  leave  it!  That  is 
the  burden  of  your  testimony ! "  the  Judge  was 
declaiming  at  the  terror-stricken  group,  evidently 
charged  with  the  oversight  of  their  distinguished 
prisoner.  "  All  the  same,  some  one  entered,  and 
some  one  left.  You  all  know  what  happened. 


210       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Yet  you  are  shielding  the  guilty  party !  That  is 
perjury !  I  am  out  of  patience  with  you !  Before 
I  have  done  with  you,  you  yourselves  shall  all  be 
prisoners!  Be  sure  then  that  if  the  law  itself 
cannot  find  out  your  guilt,  a  just  God  will  search 
out  your  sin!  Canardin's  blood  is  on  your 
heads!" 

"  What  is  it,  if  you  please,  Monsieur  Judge?  " 
Ce"cile  spoke  out,  being  unable  to  contain  herself. 
"  May  I  be  suffered  to  know  what  has  happened, 
having  the  interest  of  France  at  heart?  " 

"  Mademoiselle !  "  The  Judge  was  only  too 
glad  to  call  to  witness  to  his  just  cause  for  in- 
dignation this  tutored  person  from  the  larger 
world.  "  Justice  this  day  has  suffered  a  grievous 
affront  here.  One  such  as  will  bring  a  reproach 
upon  all  France." 

"  Yes,  yes?  "  Cecile  questioned  impatiently. 

"  We  had  here  a  celebrated  criminal." 

"  I  know !  " 

"  The  great  Canardin !  " 

"  Yes,  yes !    Proceed,  Monsieur !  " 

But  the  pomposities  of  a  country  jurist  were 
not  to  be  shortened  by  any  woman's  impatience. 
"  All  France  has  laid  claim  to  his  person.  On 
the  soundest  charges.  The  law  had  a  right  to 
him.  We  had  the  proud  privilege  of  surrender- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       211 

ing  his  living  person  to  the  proper  authorities. 
Now,  with  what  excuse  we  may  offer,  that  privi- 
lege is  denied  us.  Something  dreadful  has  hap- 
pened. Yet,  as  you  heard,  ( no  one  has  entered, 
no  one  has  left  this  building ;  no  one  has  seen  any 
other  enter  or  leave  it !  >  What  would  you !  " 
The  excellent  fellow  stopped,  his  eloquence  ex- 
hausted. 

"  You,  Jacques  Gonfleur !  "  he  began  on  a  new 
witness.  "  You  too,  I  suppose,  saw  no  one  enter 
here?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.    No,  sir." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  wretch?  " 

"  To  be  exact,  sir,  I  saw  the  charwoman  enter, 
sir." 

"  The  charwoman,  indeed !  And  saw  her  de- 
part, no  doubt !  "  The  Judge  was  now  sarcastic, 
for  the  benefit  of  his  distinguished  listener. 

"  Yes,  sir.    I  saw  her  depart." 

"  You  see  " — he  turned  to  Ce"cile — "  I  can  get 
nothing  out  of  them !  " 

"Is  it  possible,  Monsieur,"  C4cile  ventured 
the  observation,  "that  these  good  people  have 
been — let  us  say,  intimidated — by  some  one  of 
influence  or  wealth,  who  had  a  private  grievance 
against  your  celebrated  prisoner?  " 

"  That,  Mademoiselle,  is  only  too  possible ! " 


212       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

The  Judge  glared  at  his  victims,  whose  uneasi- 
ness betrayed  much  to  Cecile. 

She  rose  in  agitation  and  would  have  left  to 
seek  consolation  of  Armand,  and  the  Lord  knows 
what  else  of  Morbihan,  when  a  thought  stopped 
her.  "  Has  any  one  appeared,  Monsieur,  to 
claim  the  body?  "  she  asked,  in  a  voice  scarcely 
audible. 

"Who  would  have  ventured  such  an  imperti- 
nence! "  the  Judge  thundered. 

"  I  was  going  to  claim  it  myself,  Monsieur," 
said  C6cile  freezingly. 

"  Claim  it?  "  The  Judge  could  scarcely  be- 
lieve his  ears.  "  Evidently  you  have  not  heard, 
Mademoiselle.  It  is  gone.  We  have  it  not.  And 
yet  as  I  say,  not  a  bolt  has  been  moved;  not  a 
bar  is  broken;  no  one  has  entered  or  left.  This 
was  but  an  hour  ago.  An  hour  ago  that  man  was 
here,  alive.  He  ate.  He  was  heard  to  curse  the 
food.  To-morrow  we  were  to  deliver  him  to  the 
hands  of  justice,  in  due  course.  Immortal  glory 
would  have  rested  on  this  province.  Now " 

"  Come,  C6cile !  Be  away  from  here  at  once !  " 
she  heard  Armand's  voice  in  her  ear,  since  he  had 
followed  her.  As  nothing  else  would  budge  her, 
he  seized  her  arm.  "  This  fool  is  only  spouting. 
Come !  The  provost  has  just  taken  me  to  his  cell. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       213 

I've  seen  how  it  was  done.  You  wouldn't  believe 
it !  Fiendishly  clever !  " 

"  I  can  easily  believe  it ! "  C4cile  shot  out, 
ready  with  much  more  for  her  friend  Morbihan, 
until  she  caught  De  Lavallais  laughing. 

By  now  he  had  got  her  out  into  the  corridor, 
and  very  soon  had  her  hurried  into  another  door, 
— to  the  jailer's  office,  now  fortunately  unoccu- 
pied. Before  De  Lavallais  could  close  the  door, 
however,  a  procession  of  two  passed  by,  consist- 
ing of  the  tottering  old  provost  and  a  thing  even 
more  tottering  wrapped  in  the  great-coat  of  Can- 
ardin.  A  moment  more  the  occupant  of  the 
great-coat  had  broken  away  from  the  provost  and 
darted  into  the  room  containing  the  interested 
Armand  and  Ce"cile. 

"  Go  'way,  M'sieu !  Go  'way ! "  it  said  to 
Armand. 

He  left,  laughing  almost  with  Morbihan's  en- 
ergy. And  Ce"cile  found  herself  alone  with  the 
great  bulk  of  a  plump  charwoman,  bearing  noth- 
ing upon  her  person  save  Canardin's  thoughtful 
great-coat,  and  nothing  in  her  hand  save  one  of 
his  golden  coins. 

"He  take  my  mop!  He  take  my  pail!  He 
take  everything  I  got !  And  leave  me  like  this !  " 
the  hysterics  began,  as  C6cile  closed  the  door 


214       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

upon  a  story  that  loosed  in  her  much  more 
laughter  than  the  bare  story  prompted. 

A  roar  from  the  crowd  outside  marked  the 
spread  of  the  story  outside  of  the  building.  The 
Judge  himself,  it  may  be  assumed,  heard  it  in 
time,  but  whether  with  the  same  measure  of  ap- 
preciation, it  may  be  doubted. 

Even  Morbihan  himself  called,  and  was  re- 
ceived at  the  inn  with  better  grace  than  would 
have  been  prognosticated  from  the  atmosphere 
of  an  hour  before.  The  man  could  be  jaunty  and 
affable,  when  it  suited  his  fancy,  and  the  peni- 
tence he  pretended  did  something  to  soften 
C6cile — after  her  first  demand : 

"Young  man,  what  have  you  done  with  my 
cousin  Julie?" 

"  Mademoiselle  Julie  is  with  my  sister  Agnes 
— not  far  from  here,  by  the  way — nursing  a 
pretty  set  of  nerves." 

"The  idea  of  spiriting  her  away,  with  not  a 
word  from  either  one  of  you !  " 

"  The  little  lady  had  been  going  at  a  pretty 
gay  pace.  There's  no  holding  her,  as  you  know 
well  enough.  She  needed  a  firm  hand,  a  rest,  and 
utter  quiet.  And  she's  had  them  all, — as  you 
were  not  able  to  supply  them  yourself,  my  dear 
C^cile." 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       215 

"  With  you  about !    I  wonder !  " 

"  It  does  seem  the  only  way  I  can  fix  her  at- 
tention on  my  poor  deserts,"  the  smooth  devil 
laughed  with  a  deceiving  modesty.  "  Agnes  will 
bring  her  to  you  soon,  if  I  can't  persuade  the 
lady  to  stay." 

As  the  idea  of  Julie's  coming  to  final  rest  in 
the  house  of  Morbihan,  so  soon  as  the  Due  should 
reform  himself,  or  Julie  should  perform  that 
service  for  him,  had  never  been  especially  abhor- 
rent to  Cecile,  this  promise  contented  her,  and 
she  let  the  Due  go,  with  his  parting  shot  at  her 
sudden  sentimental  interest  in  personages  like 
provosts,  charwomen,  and  Canardin. 

It  was  not  until  the  following  day  that  the 
Due's  glib  prescription  for  Julie's  nerves  was 
discovered  to  have  had  sundry  poisonous  ingre- 
dients in  it.  To  CScile's  considerable  astonish- 
ment, when  she  drove  home  next  day  to  Meaux, 
Julie  was  there  before  her,  already  returned,  with 
two  chirurgeons  slightly  more  skilful  than  De 
Morbihan  in  attendance  upon  her,  and  with  a 
vehement  yearning  for  rest  nowhere  but  in 
C4cile's  embrace. 

Till  late  that  night  she  kept  Ce~cile  choking  for 
breath,  so  close  the  poor  girl  clung  to  her,  and 
shaken  with  wonder,  for  the  physicians  them- 


216       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

selves  had  forbidden  further  questions  and 
answers,  after  the  first  one  that  astounded 
Ce"cile  so  greatly. 

"  Why,  my  child !    How  did  you  get  here?  " 

"  Monsieur — Monsieur  Canardin  brought  me." 

"  Monsieur  Canardin! " 

There  the  physicians  had  cut  things  short. 
"  She's  in  a  delirium,"  they  said.  And  not  for 
days  was  Julie  to  be  permitted  or  persuaded  to 
tell  anything  further. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THOUGH  consumed  with  feminine  curiosity, 
Cecile  scrupulously  followed  injunctions 
left  by  the  medical  men.  Quiet  above  all  having 
been  enjoined  for  Julie,  she  saw  that  there  was 
quiet.  The  name  of  Canardin  was  never  men- 
tioned. For  that  matter,  France  itself  heard 
little  from  Canardin.  The  usual  accounts  of  his 
death  got  abroad.  These  also  Ce"cile  suppressed. 
As  he  had  died  often  before,  no  one  put  much 
faith  in  the  new  reports.  The  peasant  who 
boasted,  as  usual,  of  having  seen  Canardin's 
ghost  on  the  lonely  night  highway  was  treated 
to  laughter.  Military  circles  freshly  congratu- 
lated themselves  on  having  made  France  at  last 
too  hot  for  him.  Or  if  it  were  not  that  yet,  it 
would  be,  so  soon  as  the  Due  de  Morbihan  per- 
fected his  plans.  If  coaches  still  were  stopped 
on  the  road,  it  was  never  in  broad  daylight,  as  in 
Canardin's  heyday,  but  at  night,  in  lonely  spots, 
and  clearly  the  work  of  some  impostor.  All  that 
rifling  of  guardhouses,  with  which  Canardin  had 


218       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

been  wont  to  give  playful  exercise  to  his  virtuos- 
ity, had  ceased.  Bobbers  now  began  to  be  caught, 
whereas,  it  was  remembered,  that  happened  in- 
frequently in  the  case  of  Canardin.  These  things 
lent  color  to  the  growing  belief  that  Canardin 
had  left  the  country  at  last. 

To  one  person  at  least  this  came  as  a  disap- 
pointment. "  It  is  a  positive  grief  to  me !  I  don't 
mind  saying  I  had  my  heart  set  on  ArmamTs 
taking  him.  It  would  have  meant  so  much  to 
his  career." 

This  confession  came  from  Cecile  de  Gram- 
mont  one  morning,  timidly,  at  breakfast  hour. 
She  ventured  it  because  she  saw  that  something 
or  other  had  begun  to  amuse  her  visitor.  Seeing 
the  amusement  deepen  at  that,  she  ventured  still 
further,  defiantly: 

"  Nevertheless,  Julie,  do  you  know,  I  once  had 
my  own  notions  of  winning  over  that  extraor- 
dinary man.  The  fact  is  " — she  blushed  a  bit — 
"  I  have  those  notions  still.  You  needn't  smile, 
you  little  mischief!  You  once  amused  yourself 
in  the  same  fashion.  And  where  that  headlong 
daring  of  yours  availed  nothing,  I  suppose  I 
ought  to  learn  better.  Yet  you  know,  my  dear  " 
— Cecile  was  watching  her  closely — "  such  a  man 
cannot  be  wholly  evil !  " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       219 

"  You  really  think  so?  "  Julie  asked  demurely, 
devoting  herself  to  her  fruit. 

"  Oh,  I'm  sure  of  it ! "  Ce"cile  was  the  more 
positive,  because  it  began  to  look  safe  to  open  a 
long-neglected  topic.  "  The  grace,  the  dash,  the 
rollicking  humor  of  the  man !  Born  anything  but 
a  bourgeois,  you  very  well  know  what  that  man 
would  have  become !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Julie.  "  I  have  thought  so  my- 
self." 

"  You  f  Who  wanted  once  to  see  him  hanged ! 
And  wagered  his  capture!  You  chased  him, 
didn't  you,  only  to  find  that  he  is — Canardin !  I 
wonder " — Cecile  peeped  sheepishly  over  her 
chocolate  cup  as  she  said  it — "  I  wonder  if  he's 
never  to  be  tamed." 

"  Armand  says  never,"  Julie  pronounced,  as  if 
that  settled  it. 

"  In  any  case  he  seems  to  have  vanished," 
Ce"cile  gayly  agreed,  still  watching  the  effect  of 
her  words,  and  was  puzzled  at  Julie's  mischie- 
vous smile. 

Three  mornings  later  she  was  even  more 
puzzled,  and  a  little  captivated,  to  find  by  her 
lone  place  at  the  table  a  bunch  of  wild  flowers 
and  a  card  among  them  on  which  was  written : 

CANARDIN. 


220       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Nor  did  she  lay  this  up  as  a  joke  of  the  prank- 
ish Julie's,  as  was  her  first  thought,  for  the 
bundle  of  wild  blooms,  as  she  handled  it,  pres- 
ently discharged  a  certain  green  jade  ring,  which 
she  had  lost  again,  or  missed,  some  time  before. 
She  hid  them  quickly,  ring,  card,  flowers  and  all, 
on  hearing  Julie's  tread  on  the  stair.  Fancy  a 
woman,  however,  keeping  such  a  matter  to  her- 
self very  long ! 

She  kept  it  till  evening, — no  longer.  That 
evening,  as  air  was  one  of  the  medicaments  pre- 
scribed for  Julie,  the  two  of  them  strolled  the 
lawns  about  the  chateau.  In  the  locusts  and 
lindens  above  their  pretty  heads,  the  first  birds 
of  spring  chattered  over  the  feasts  of  the  day. 
A  new  season  of  green  and  graceful  slopes,  of 
flowers  and  fruit — for  those  who  might  own  them 
— was  opening  with  all  those  mysterious  intima- 
tions that  gladden  something  primeval  in  the 
heart  of  man.  Creation  itself  is  then  in  love  with 
the  earth,  and  mothers  it  tenderly,  and  sees  that 
hushes  and  warmth  surround  these  young  be- 
ginnings of  growth. 

Through  this  quietude,  as  they  walked,  an  odd 
sound  intruded  from  a  point  far  away, — that 
singularly  carrying,  strangely  penetrating  "  Ee- 
e-o-oy"  of  the  peacock  which,  by  Nature's  ca- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       221 

price,  has  been  made  sweet  to  the  ears  of  his 
hen. 

"  I  know  of  no  one,"  C6cile  said,  "  who  owns 
one  of  those  birds  about  here.  Yet  I've  heard  it 
before,  at  long  intervals." 

"  A  wild  bird,  I  suppose,"  Julie  remarked,  glad 
that  her  smile  was  lost  in  the  coming  twilight. 

"  I  fancy  so,"  said  Ce"cile.  "  Come,  child ! " 
she  tightened  an  arm  about  Julie's  waist.  "  It's 
been  so  good  to  see  you  livened  of  late.  Spring  is 
planting  roses  in  your  cheeks.  I  hope  my  own 
are  as  lucky.  There's  a  peacock  of  another  sort 
coming  to-night.  Soon  we  shall  coax  one  here 
for  you.  I  fancy  it  will  not  be  hard !  "  Another 
squeeze  of  the  waist.  "  But,  Julie,  you're  chilled ! 
It's  time  we  went  in ! " 

"  Not  yet.    It's  too  lovely." 

"  But  lonely !  Without  some  excitement  from 
Canardin !  "  C6cile  laughed  and  studied  the  effect 
of  that. 

As  there  was  none,  she  tried  another  effort. 
"  On  my  last  visit  to  Paris  I  saw  an  old  flame  of 
yours." 

"  Indeed?    They  all  seem  old.    Which  one?  " 

"  Achille  de  Morbihan." 

"That  man?" 

The  effect  had  come — or  part  of  it.    "  Don't, 


222       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

my  love,"  Cecile  laughed.  "  I  believe  you've  fash- 
ioned that  man  to  be  whatever  he  is.  Wild 
thing!  He  owes  his  rash  courses  to  you.  But 
no,  you  would  encourage  that  silly  De  Braille! 
Pretty  and  witty  he  was,  I  own.  But  ah,  my 
dear,  we  older  heads  are  wiser.  You  see  what 
De  Braille  has  come  to,  don't  you?  Disgraced 
and  fled !  Why,  Julie !  "  Cecile  stopped  herself, 
for  the  mercurial  Julie,  on  tiptoes  the  moment 
before,  had  taken  to  weeping  convulsively. 
"  Forgive  me !  "  They  walked  on  under  the  trees 
for  a  space  longer.  "  But  sometime  you  will  ex- 
plain to  me,  Julie?  " 

Julie  nodded. 

"  Everything?  " 

Again  Julie  nodded. 

"What  upset  you  so,  at  the  Morbihan  place? 
Tell  me,  was  De  Braille  there?  " 

"  Oh,  don't!  "  cried  Julie. 

"  There,  there !  I'm  going  to  make  you  laugh, 
instead !  Here's  an  affair  of  mine,  if  you  please." 
And  Cecile  told  of  Canardin's  ring  and  the  flow- 
ers, while  Julie  dutifully  laughed.  "  So,  he 
hasn't  gone  after  all !  "  Cecile  felt  encouraged. 
"And  do  you  know  what  I  believe?  Laugh  if 
you  like  " — Ce"cile  herself  was  obliged  to  titter 
foolishly — "  but  that  man  is  lonely!  Tired  of 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       223 

his  wild  life!  He  wants  to  come  into  the  fold! 
He's  signifying  as  much !  " 

"  Cecile !  "  Julie  rallied  her.  "  You  have  that 
man  on  your  mind !  " 

"  I'm  not  alone  in  that,  young  woman !  "  And 
Julie  started.  "  Do  you  know  what  you  told  me 
when  you  came  here,  ill?  That  Monsieur  Can- 
ardin  had  brought  you !  " 

"  Did  I  say  that?  "  cried  Julie,  in  alarm. 

"And  very  much  else,  my  dear.  Some  of  it 
sweet.  But  then  you  were  in  a  delirium.  All 
the  same,  you  are  not  so  viciously  hostile  to 
Monsieur  Canardin  as  you  pretend  to  be.  You 
may  as  well  admit  it.  Come,  isn't  it  so? " 
Again  Cecile's  arm  tightened  its  embrace.  "  Be- 
cause I  want  to  convert  you  to  my  little  con- 
spiracy. With  your  wits  in  it Oh,  there 

goes  that  thing  again !  "  Cecile  broke  off.  Both 
drew  up  in  their  pace  as  the  odd  spell  of  that 
peacock's  note  again  gave  them  a  little  thrill. 

Hardly  was  it  finished  when  a  base  imitation 
from  the  contrary  direction  announced  the  ar- 
rival of  De  Lavallais. 

Not  without  a  certain  sly  smile  could  Julie 
watch  his  air  of  proprietorship  as  the  excellent 
fellow  turned  over  his  horse  to  a  groom.  What 
thanks  had  he,  what  knowledge  even,  as  to  the 


person  and  the  process  by  which,  he  had  attained 
his  new  rank? 

"Ah,  Armand,  make  haste !  "  Ce"cile,  always 
profuse  with  her  endearments,  scarcely  could 
wait  to  hale  him  to  the  supper  board  and  show 
him  the  new  tokens  of  Canardin's  arrival, — the 
card,  the  posies,  the  well-remembered  ring. 

A  little  wearily  De  Lavallais  heard  that  topic 
come  up  again,  and  set  his  face  to  finish  it.  For 
half  the  course  of  the  meal  C£cile  poured  out  her 
"  hobby,"  Armand  called  it.  Surely  Armand 
could  find  some  means  of  reaching  him,  of  bid- 
ding him  welcome — there  in  her  own  house,  if 
need  be ! 

"  It's  really  Julie's  pretty  idea,"  she  fibbed. 
"  I'm  utterly  aghast  at  the  knowledge  she  has  of 
him." 

"  They're  matters  of  common  gossip,"  Julie 
observed. 

"  So  much  the  better !  "  C6cile  argued.  "  Be 
the  statesman,  not  the  hangman,  Armand! 
Think  what  it  will  mean  to  you,  to  go  to  your 
King  with  a  loyal  servant  made  out  of  a  danger- 
ous enemy !  He  wishes  it  himself !  He's  shown 
us  as  much !  " 

No  lover  listens  with  enthusiasm  to  his  lady's 
urging  of  another  man's  cause.  As  patiently  as 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       225 

he  could  De  Lavallais  heard  her  through,  then 
tossed  his  napkin  across  his  lap,  touched  the  tips 
of  his  fingers  together,  and  answered  her. 

"My  dear  Cecile!  It  is  perfectly  true  that 
your  Canardin  has  not  left  France.  There  hap- 
pens to  be  evidence  of  that  other  than  your  pretty 
flowers — evidence  not  so  pretty.  It  may  be  per- 
fectly true,  as  you  say  Julie  surmises,  that  Can- 
ardin has  got  above  petty  offences.  He  has  left 
off  the  petty  offences  for  others  that  are  worse! 
It  is  true  enough  that  Canardin  has  signalized 
his  reappearance — in  a  manner  that  official  cir- 
cles all  over  France  must  notice ! " 

Having  eyes  for  each  other  only,  neither  Cecile 
nor  Armand  marked  the  deepening  pallor  in 
Julie's  cheeks. 

"  I  confess,"  De  Lavallais  was  rolling  on,  a 
little  captivated  by  the  music  of  his  periods, 
"  there  was  a  time  when  I  sympathized  with 
your  pity  for  Canardin.  I  have  lost  patience 
with  him.  He  has  put  himself  outside  every 
pale.  He  is  no  longer  a  menace  to  Frenchmen; 
he  is  a  menace  to  France.  He  means  to  be  a 
revolutionary!  He  has  forgotten  his  humor. 
Yesterday  he  took  a  step  that  will  arouse  all 
France.  I'll  make  it  short.  He  did  me  the 
honor  to  impersonate  Armand  de  Lavallais.  He 


226       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

flourished  a  lettre  de  cachet,  if  you  please,  indis- 
putably in  the  King's  own  hand,  but  made  out  in 
my  name,  and  one  " — De  Lavallais  fetched  this 
out  in  a  very  deep  voice — "  that  I  never  heard  of ! 
With  that  false  authority  he  put  himself  in  com- 
mand of  a  company  of  the  King's  soldiery.  This 
was  at  Amiens.  He  then  invaded  a  court  of  law, 
and  " — again  De  Lavallais  sank  his  voice — "  ar- 
rested the  very  judge  I " 

C6cile  tried  to  interpose  some  futile  condona- 
tion. "  It  was  merely  a  flourish !  "  Julie,  see- 
ing better,  gave  a  choking  little  gasp. 

"  The  King  will  find  it  hard  to  condone  such 
courses,"  De  Lavallais  sighed. 

"  Why — why  did  he  do  that?  "  Julie  pinched 
out  the  words  between  her  set  lips. 

"  Oh,"  said  De  Lavallais  largely,  "  your  Can- 
ardin  can  always  allege  a  lofty  purpose.  He's 
clever  at  that.  On  entering  the  court  he  declared 
in  a  pompous  manner  that  it  was  high  time  to 
purge  the  judiciary  of  France.  And  to  set  an 
example,  he  charged  this  judge  with  sitting  on  a 
case  in  which  the  judge  himself  was  an  interested 
party,  and  rendering  a  decision  in  his  own 
favor ! " 

"Well!"  said  Julie,  her  breath  coming  fast, 
her  black  eyes  snapping,  greater  and  rounder 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       227 

than  ever  against  the  deathly  pallor  of  her 
cheeks.  "  Well !  Wasn't  it  true?  " 

"  What  if  it  was !  "  De  Lavallais  hedged. 

"Ah !  "  Julie  sank  back  in  her  chair  in  a  great 
relief.  "  You  said  it  was  true ! " 

"  But  think  of  the  enormity,  my  child !  "  De 
Lavallais  hammered  the  cloth  with  his  fist. 
"  The  time  has  gone  when  it  was  possible  to  sen- 
timentalize over  Canardin.  He  has  gone  too  far. 
It  is  time  to  make  an  end  of  him.  He  is  wise  if 
he  flies  the  country  while  there  is  time.  We  have 
positive  knowledge  that  he  is  ready  to  range  with 
his  band — '  purging  France '  he  calls  it — from 
Arras  to  Marseilles,  from  Lyons  to  Bordeaux. 
All  the  malcontents  in  the  realm  have  flocked  to 
him.  Canardin  has  been  known  to  boast  that  he 
himself  is  a  society.  The  boast  is  becoming  the 
fact.  The  man  is  a  force.  It  will  take  a  consid- 
erable power  of  the  State  to  put  him  down.  And 
that " — Armand  leaned  back  triumphantly — 
"that  is  the  man  you  would  tame  with  a  few 
melting  speeches ! " 

C£cile  had  propped  her  elbows  on  the  table  and 
buried  her  face  in  her  hands.  It  was  Julie  who 
came  to  life  and  wakened  them  all.  A  hot  flush 
had  succeeded  the  pallor  on  her  face.  She  half 
rose  as  she  spoke.  Her  hands  gripped  together 


228       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

folds  of  the  cloth.  The  black  ringlets  danced  to 
the  vigorous  tossing  of  her  head.  Her  white 
teeth  sparkled  in  the  candlelight,  as  her  red  lips 
parted  in  such  a  smile  as  only  comes  when  a 
woman  praises. 

"Monsieur  de  Lavallais,"  she  began  in  a  ringing 
voice,  "  I  can  tell  you  from  a  superior  knowledge 
of  Monsieur  Canardin  that  he  is  as  good  a  friend 
as  France  ever  had.  '  Friend '  of  France? 
France  is  the  one  thing  he  loves !  You  think  you 
know  his  generosity,  Monsieur  de  Lavallais.  The 
new  dignity  to  your  very  name  you  owe  to  a  whim 
of  his.  I  have  even  more  to  be  grateful  for  at  his 
hands.  I  know  that  man.  I  amused  myself 
with  trailing  him.  I  caught  up  with  him  be- 
cause he  let  me.  And  I  met  a  man,  Monsieur, 
whom  Nature,  if  not  the  King,  has  made  a  prince. 
He  has  saved  my  life,  he  has  saved  my  honor — 
careless  of  his  own.  Two  months  ago  you 
thought  I  was  delirious  " — she  said  this  to  CScile 
— "  when  I  told  you  Monsieur  Canardin  brought 
me  here.  That  was  the  fact.  He  learned  where 
I  was.  And  again  he  saved  me  " — this  to  Ar- 
mand — "from  a  peer  of  France.  With  Morbi- 
han's  sister!  I  was  a  virtual  prisoner  of  the 
Due's,  safe  only  because  Canardin's  '  malcon- 
tents' peopled  the  house  and  gave  it  its  one  touch 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       229 

of  propriety.  To  lure  Morbihan  away,  to  give 
me  a  chance  of  escape,  lie  risked  the  stratagem  of 
imprisonment.  He  gave  it  the  color  he  gives  to 
all  his  high  deeds — the  color  of  a  jest.  It  was 
no  jest,  Monsieur  de  Lavallais.  In  the  middle  of 
my  chance  of  escape,  Morbihan  returned  with  a 
posse,  fifty  to  one  against  us,  hemmed  in  a  wood. 
I  am  here  only  because  Monsieur  Canardin  drew 
the  pack  away  from  my  hiding  place  after  him- 
self. God  knows  how  he  threw  them  off.  He 
would  never  tell.  Then  he  brought  me,  as  he 
said  he  would,  back  among  friends.  Such  things 
in  our  golden  age !  "  The  highly-strung  Julie 
laughed  a  little  hysterically.  "  Tell  me.  Does 
France  need  purging,  Monsieur  de  Lavallais? 
That  was  your  sarcasm.  Is  there  no  beggary? 
Are  there  no  venal  courts  in  France?  No,  Mon- 
sieur de  Lavallais,  such  a  man  is  not  to  be  won 
over  with  a  few  melting  speeches.  France  will 
be  fortunate  if  all  her  eloquence — and  yours, 
Monsieur — can  win  him  over." 

With  wide-open  eyes  and  open  mouths,  Ce~cile 
and  Armand  heard  the  girl,  watched  the  spec- 
tacle of  her  animation,  saw  her  drop  into  a  chair, 
half  laughing,  half  sobbing,  under  the  pressure  of 
feeling.  Yet  she  was  the  first  to  speak  again,  to 
these  still  astonished  listeners. 


230       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  You  think  us  silly  women,  Armand ! "  She 
laid  her  hand  on  C6cile's  shoulder  to  mark  their 
partnership.  Now  she  was  all  animation;  the 
strong  feeling,  the  somber  recollections  were 
gone.  "  Just  because  you  think  that,  Armand, 
I'll  lay  you  a  wager!  What  do  you  say?  Ke- 
member!  I've  chased  this  Canardin  before.  I 
know  the  odds  against  us.  Now,  then,  Monsieur, 
the  stake  is  Canardin's  life, — for  France !  If  we 
win,  the  honor  is  yours.  If  we  lose,  we  are  the 
fools  you  think  us.  But  these  are  the  condi- 
tions." Julie  was  tapping  the  cloth  with  a  fore- 
finger to  mark  off  her  points.  "  We  agree,  Ce"cile 
and  I,  to  get  on  his  trail.  You  agree  to  sur- 
round the  rendezvous  with  the  protection  of  the 
State.  And  await  the  result.  As  it  is  in  the  in- 
terests of  the  State,  not  even  Morbihan  should 
object !  Monsieur,  are  you  game?  " 

"  'Tis  done !  "  De  Lavallais  clapped  the  broad 
of  his  palm  to  the  table.  With  this  sealing  of 
the  compact,  they  all  relieved  themselves  of  a  ten- 
sion in  a  burst  of  hearty  laughter.  Cecile 
scarcely  could  embrace  her  excited  and  exciting 
companion  closely  enough.  A  fresh  flagon  of 
wine  was  brought.  For  half  an  hour  they  added 
one  touch  or  another  to  this  inviting  scheme.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  Julie,  with  an  arch  ostenta- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       231 

tion,  left  the  other  two  to  themselves,  under  pre- 
tense of  going  at  once  to  plan  her  stratagems, — 
which  was,  quite  literally,  her  purpose. 

It  is  true  that  Julie  climbed  the  broad  front 
stair.  It  is  also  true  that  she  promptly  descended 
a  back  one,  having  paused  in  her  chamber  only 
long  enough  to  gather  up  a  cloak.  Like  a  wraith 
she  stole  unobserved  from  a  rear  door  and  crossed 
the  soft  lawn,  making  for  a  wicket  in  the  wall 
about  the  orchard.  An  owl  was  complaining 
there. 

"  I'm  so  sorry  to  keep  you  waiting ! "  she  ex- 
claimed to  some  one  on  the  Franceward  side  of 
the  wicket. 

"  I  could  wait  forever !  "  a  deep  voice  returned. 
"  But  not  the  news  I  have.  You'll  think  it  capi- 
tal. De  Braille  has  been  found !  " 

Julie  thought  a  moment.  "  Oh,"  she  said. 
"I'm — I'm  so  glad."  After  another  hesitation 
she  boldly  opened  the  wicket,  stepped  close  to 
the  shadowy  figure  and  said  something,  said  it 
with  point,  with  a  ring  in  her  voice — was  it  of 
impatience  only,  or  was  it  passion?  "  Is  there 
not  another  man  who — has  found  himself '?  And 
is  ready  to  return  to  France?  " 

"I  was  not  aware,  dear  lady,  that  Canardin 
had  ever  mislaid  himself,"  came  the  familiar, 


232       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

taunting,  low  laugh;  but  as  it  was  evenly  ap- 
parent from  her  silence  that  Julie  had  been  hurt, 
Canardin  more  gently  explained,  "  I  like  to  ven- 
ture close  to  your  haunts,  my  dear  Julie.  But 
there's  one  thing  we're  always  forgetting.  I'm 
a  wild  thing,  after  all." 

"  Quite  so !  "  she  agreed.     "A  peacock ! " 

As  Canardin  accepted  with  a  laugh  even  this 
telling  shot,  Julie  first  stamped  her  foot, — which 
signified  anger  and  impatience.  She  then  burst 
into  tears, — which  meant  a  hotter  impatience, 
perhaps.  Finally  she  rushed  upon  Canardin, 
took  his  cloak  in  her  grip,  and  shook  it  vehe- 
mently. And  daylight  alone  could  have  shown 
how  lovely  and  crimson  she  had  become,  and 
what  was  meant  by  these  acts. 

"Am  I  never  to  reach  you ! "  It  was  incred- 
ible, the  measure  of  exasperation  she  poured  into 
the  words.  And  was  it  only  exasperation? 

"  I  have  my  little  appointed  task  to  do,  my 
dear  Julie,"  Canardin  said,  no  longer  laugh- 
ing. 

"I  own  it  was  wonderfulj  it  was  masterful, 
what  you  did  with  that  Judge.  But  as  if  you 
had  picked  the  one  way  to  accomplish  such 
things ! " 

"  I  know  of  no  better  way — for  me." 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       233 

"  I  do !  At  least "  Julie  stopped  abruptly, 

and  the  darkness  covered  the  quick  pinch  she 
gave  her  lips  with  her  pretty  fingers,  and  the 
sudden  new  light  that  came  to  her  wet  eyes.  As 
suddenly  her  vexation  vanished,  as  she  instantly 
gave  notice,  by  linking  her  arm  with  his  and 
leading  him  up  and  down  across  the  lawn. 

"What's  this?"  Canardin  sought  to  pene- 
trate this  new  mood  in  the  girl.  But  three  times 
they  doubled  on  their  tracks  before  she  could  re- 
duce her  inspiration  to  words. 

"  I've  a  new  lark  for  you,  Canardin,"  she  put 
it  that  way,  and  laughed.  His  arm  felt  an  extra 
pressure,  too,  such  was  her  delight  at  having  hit 
upon  this  certain  new  approach  to  him.  And 
while  he  listened,  with  a  far  shrewder  under- 
standing than  she  guessed,  she  unfolded  her 
pretty  scheme.  "  Now,  will  you?  "  it  ended. 

"  H'm !  "  With  that  he  obliged  her  to  be  con- 
tented while  he  took  his  own  turn  at  steering 
them  in  silence  up  and  down  across  the  lawn. 
"H'm!  Armand,  dear  fellow,  to  surround  us 
with  the  mantle  of  his  protection,  indeed !  Mor- 
bihan  to  welcome  me  to  Court!  H'm!"  such 
were  Canardin's  unspoken  reflections.  "Are 
they  making  use  of  the  girl?  She  doesn't  sus- 
pect it,  of  course,  but  is  it  a  trap?  " 


234       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  Well?  "  The  word  fell  from  Julie's  lips  just 
halfway  between  a  hope  and  a  fear. 

As  he  kept  her  pacing  at  his  side,  the  fear 
overruled  the  hope  in  her.  Even  to  herself  her 
pretty  purpose  of  his  reclamation  looked  hope- 
less and  childish,  now  that  she  heard  it  in  so 
many  words.  Cage  this  bold  spirit,  this  eagle, 
— or  vulture,  as  others  would  have  him?  And 
invite  the  prisoner  to  take  his  caging  as  a 
lark! 

Nevertheless  Julie  held  out  the  cage  again. 
"Well?"  she  repeated  in  a  voice  of  tempting 
appeal. 

The  darkness  hid  from  her  how  deeply  she  had 
touched  him.  From  her  tremulous  tone  he  drew 
everything  that  she  had  let  slip  into  it.  Once 
before  they  had  laughed  together  when  she 
raised  this  project  of  his  polite  remaking,  "  for 
his  own  good."  There  was  no  laughing  now,  at 
Julie's  reason  for  raising  it  again.  The  tremble 
in  her  voice  had  fairly  trumpeted  the  reason, 
however  the  night  had  covered  her  blushes. 

"  See  how  you  force  me  to  beg ! "  she  com- 
plained. 

Canardin  at  last  laughed  gently.  "  It  will 
take  a  deal  of  debating,"  he  said.  "  Every  night 
for  a  week ! " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       235 

"  I  shan't  mind !  "  Her  hopes  rebounded. 
"  If,  every  night,  you  agree !  " 

Perhaps  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  Canardin 
was  obliged  to  falter  for  words.  "  It  has  been 
sweet,  these  looks  at  you — even  though  it  has 
been  always  in  the  darkness." 

"  Then  come  into  the  light ! "  she  cried,  so 
that  Canardin  stopped  still.  But  so  did  his 
tongue. 

By  all  the  gods,  though  it  was  across  a  gulf  as 
wide  as  the  world,  and  was  not  to  last  forever, 
he  had  liked  this  coming  near  and  calling  to  a 
kindred  spirit.  This  was  the  end  of  it.  That 
much  was  implied.  Either  he  came  all  the  way 
to  her,  or  he  was  to  come  no  more. 

She  waited.  Then,  suddenly,  a  patient  girl 
vanished,  and  Julie  Lecoigneux  stood  before  him 
instead.  "  It  is  a  new  thing  for  me  to  plead  with 
a  man,"  she  blazed,  so  that  he  started.  "  The 
offer  is  still  open ;  the  pleading  is  over.  The  de- 
cision is  yours.  Darkness  or  the  light;  which 
shall  it  be,  Monsieur  Canardin?  " 

He  did  his  best  to  laugh  again.  "  That  is  to 
say,  I  am  dismissed?  " 

In  her  outraged  pride  she  rushed  away,  but 
turned  at  the  wicket  to  hurl  at  him  this :  "  I  have 
told  you,  Monsieur,  where  we  shall  be,  and  when, 


236       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

C6cile  and  I.    You  are  asked  to  the  rendezvous. 
It  is  for  you  to  be  there  as  you  please." 

Back  to  the  chateau  she  fled,  and  to  a  night  of 
decided  unquiet.  On  the  following  day  she  kept 
strictly  to  her  chamber.  That  night,  neverthe- 
less, the  peacock's  call  resounded  again. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A  ND  on  a  certain  cool  morning  a  little  later 
**•  that  spring  the  public  coach  set  forth  from 
Lyons  for  Paris  at  its  regular  early  hour.  Be- 
cause it  was  a  prosperous  line,  without  much 
competition,  the  six  bays  to  its  hitch  were  sleek 
and  frisky,  and  the  coach  itself,  newly  washed 
and  untouched  by  dust  on  roads  still  hardened 
from  recent  frosts,  shone  and  glistened  in  its 
gorgeous  yellow  paint,  the  panels  to  its  doors 
picked  out  in  purple  because  it  boasted  of  enjoy- 
ing the  King's  own  sanction. 

The  two  passengers  who  alone  engaged  seats 
that  day  within  the  coach,  since  a  chilly  air  made 
riding  inside  preferable  on  so  long  a  journey, 
were  a  slim  young  man,  a  little  pale  and  thought- 
ful and  perhaps  eight  and  twenty,  modestly 
garbed  in  cinnamon  brown,  and  a  man  of  older 
appearance  in  resplendent  blue  velvet,  with  laces 
at  his  wrists  and  throat  which  any  woman  would 
have  recognized  as  exquisite.  His  manner,  how- 
ever, more  than  his  dress,  proclaimed  him  of 
some  rank  and  dignity.  One  would  have  looked 
at  him  twice,  as  a  possible  reincarnation  of  Maz- 


238       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

arin.  The  pointed  beard  was  slightly  heavier, 
and  the  mustachios  decidedly  so,  with  a  rakish 
air,  belonging  less  to  the  study  or  cabinet  than 
to  the  court  of  law,  or  perhaps  the  field  of  battle. 
In  age  he  might  have  been  fifty. 

It  suited  this  dignitary,  as  the  coach  now 
rolled  along  free  of  the  town  into  the  open  coun- 
try, to  speak  but  occasionally  to  his  younger  com- 
panion of  the  journey.  Indeed  he  had  the  car- 
riage of  one  with  large  and  pressing  affairs  in 
mind,  who  had  traveled  the  route  often  enough 
before  to  take  interest  in  his  surroundings  only 
so  far  as  to  keep  a  sharp  eye  on  the  various  es- 
tates along  the  way,  as  a  means  of  measuring  the 
rate  of  their  progress.  Once  he  settled  back  in 
his  seat  with  an  evident  satisfaction  which  he 
soon  explained  to  his  friend. 

"Well,  my  dear  fellow!  So  far  we  have  the 
world  to  ourselves?  " 

What  was  this  gentleman's  annoyance,  there- 
fore, when,  at  a  mean  little  village  some  distance 
away  from  Lyons,  the  coach  was  halted  to  accom- 
modate a  considerable  company  of  other  trav- 
elers! The  gentleman's  annoyance  lived  very 
briefly,  however,  when  he  caught  a  better  view  of 
them.  A  lady  of  some  importance,  to  judge  by 
her  retinue  of  servants  and  the  number  of  their 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       239 

boxes,  and  certainly  of  striking  beauty,  was  soon 
firmly  established  in  the  body  of  the  coach,  along 
with  a  lady  companion,  of  even  greater  beauty 
than  herself.  Naturally  it  would  never  do  to  let 
these  ladies  ride  backward,  and  immediately  the 
two  gentlemen  offered  the  exchange  of  their  own 
seats  which  faced  forward. 

"  Oh,  Monsieur !  "  The  first  lady  gave  a  look 
of  survey  over  the  evident  j*ears  of  the  elder  gen- 
tleman. "  I  cannot  consent  to  disturb  you !  " 

"  Mademoiselle,"  the  distinguished  personage 
answered  with  a  taking  smile,  "  let  me  insist.  It 
is  not  the  first  time  I  have  turned  my  back  upon 
Paris."  And  while  they  all  laughed  pleasantly 
at  this  sally,  and  before  he  would  suffer  the  coach 
to  start  on,  the  exchange  of  seats  was  made. 

On  top  of  the  vehicle  her  ladyship  disposed  a 
maitre  d'hote!,  a  cockatoo,  a  lackey,  and  two 
maidservants.  Indeed  they  left  no  room  for  other 
passengers,  which  seemed  to  give  them  some  con- 
cern, especially  as  her  ladyship  plainly  took  the 
gentlemen  themselves  to  be  the  intruders. 

"  I'm  sure,  my  dear  Lucille,"  she  said  to  her 

companion,  "  I  don't  see  where  any  more " 

But  after  the  gentlemen's  courtesy,  she  could  not 
afford  to  speak  her  full  thought.  And  in  this 
manner  the  two  sets  of  passengers,  while  doing 


240       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

their  best  to  avoid  a  too  great  familiarity,  never- 
theless surveyed  each  other  furtively  now  and 
then. 

From  Lyons  to  Paris  it  is  a  journey  of  above 
three  hundred  miles,  which  implies  a  ride  of  eight 
days  in  a  lumbering  coach ;  and  at  that  season  of 
the  year,  when  the  weather  is  capricious  and  the 
inns  apt  to  be  crowded,  the  ordeal  may  be  easily 
prolonged  to  twice  that  time.  Hence  the  charac- 
ter of  one's  company  takes  on  some  consequence. 
And  by  the  looks  which  the  ladies  exchanged,  it 
was  more  than  apparent  that  the  slightly  elder, 
while  interested  in  her  fellow  travelers,  was 
somewhat  put  out. 

For  a  time  she  kept  up  a  desultory  comment 
with  her  friend,  on  one  or  the  other  trifle,  and 
the  gentlemen  on  their  own  part  passed  a  word 
or  two  as  they  tooled  along.  So  matters  pro- 
ceeded, in  the  stilted  manner  customary  to  fellow 
passengers  unknown  to  each  other.  For  perhaps 
an  hour  they  rode  thus,  when,  in  turning  out  for 
a  passing  wagon,  the  coach  lurched  so  deeply  in 
the  gutter  by  the  roadside  that  the  distinguished 
person  trod  upon  the  delicate  slipper  of  the  lady 
opposite  him, — quite  by  accident,  of  course. 

"  I  very  humbly  crave  your  pardon,  Mademoi- 
selle ! "  he  hastened  to  say,  and  was  really  so 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       241 

grand  in  his  humility  that  she  could  take  no  of- 
fense at  it. 

"  It  is  of  no  moment,  Monsieur,  I  assure  you," 
she  replied,  and  resumed  the  conversation  with 
her  companion  the  more  assiduously,  to  cover  the 
pleasure  his  conduct  had  given  her.  She  even 
wished  he  might  tread  on  the  other  slipper, 
which  he  did  on  the  next  lurch  of  the  coach. 
Again,  of  course,  he  was  profuse  with  his  apolo- 
gies. 

"  It  is  nothing,  Monsieur.  One  must  expect 
such  mishaps  in  this  form  of  travel." 

This  remark  was  sufficiently  general  as  a  com- 
plaint against  life,  and  required  no  reply.  The 
gentleman,  however,  offered  the  most  courteous 
and  hearty  agreement,  ending :  "  If  Mademoiselle 
can  forgive  the  presumption,  I  would  say  this 
must  be  an  unfamiliar  experience  to  her." 

At  this  flattery  to  her  circumstances  the  lady 
smiled  and,  before  she  was  aware  she  was  speak- 
ing, had  said,  "  Indeed,  Monsieur,  it  is  something 
of  an  ordeal.  Especially  as  we  are  almost  cer- 
tain to  be  halted  by  other  passengers.  In  fact,  I 
was  assured  there  would  be  at  least  one  more  of 
us.  But  perhaps  he  has  been  disappointed." 

Monsieur  smiled  broadly.  Was  this  an  elope- 
ment? "I  would  say,  Mademoiselle,  that  the 


242       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

missing  traveler  is  not  the  only  one  disap- 
pointed." 

Mademoiselle  started,  then  blushed  violently, 
and  to  cover  her  unreadiness  said  the  first  foolish 
thing  that  came  to  her  mind.  "  Oh,  Monsieur, 
what  I  mean  is  that  there  cannot  be  too  many  of 
us,  with  the  terrible  Monsieur  Canardin  at  large 
and  so  apt  to  appear  without  warning  at  any 
time." 

The  gentleman  rallied  her  further.  "Ah, 
Mademoiselle,  from  what  I  have  heard  of  that 
Monsieur  Canardin  of  yours,  he  is  not  the  sort 
to  offer  affront  to  any  lady." 

"  I  hope  you  are  right,  Monsieur,"  the  lady 
said.  "  I  have  heard  as  much.  But  I  am  told 
he  is  active  in  this  very  neighborhood,  and  no 
matter  how  gallant  he  may  be,  it  would  give  me 
a  turn  if  he  should  appear  too  suddenly."  With 
that  she  bit  her  unruly  tongue,  to  keep  it  quiet. 

"  Have  no  alarms,  I  beg  you,"  the  gentleman 
responded  as  if  somewhat  hurt.  "  I  should  do 
my  best  to  see  that  you  were  not  molested." 

"  Oh,  Monsieur,  I  know "  Mademoiselle 

said  what  she  could  to  soothe  the  injury  he 
evinced,  to  have  his  bravery  called  in  question. 
And  for  a  mile  or  two  nothing  further  passed  be- 
tween them. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       243 

At  the  end  of  that  distance,  however,  it  was  a 
question  which  of  the  two,  the  lady  or  the  gentle- 
man, the  more  earnestly  desired  to  renew  the 
conversation.  And  the  gentleman  promptly  and 
properly  undertook  the  responsibility. 

"  Since  it  appears,  Mademoiselle,  from  the 
number  of  your  servants  and  packages,  that  you 
are  bound  for  Paris,  as  I  am  myself,"  he  said, 
"  would  it  not  be  well  to  avoid  an  awkward  situa- 
tion? If  you  can  induce  yourself  to  trust  me,  I 
will  introduce  myself.  I  am  the  Comte  Eugene 
de  Bonnefois." 

Mademoiselle  was  unable  to  suppress  a  visible 
emotion.  As  an  old  acquaintance  of  a  former 
Monsieur  de  Bonnefois,  now  some  time  dead,  this 
announcement  took  her  aback. 

"  I  owe  you  an  explanation,"  Monsieur  le 
Comte  hastened  to  say.  "  The  title  only  lately 
passed  to  my  branch  of  the  family." 

"  I  am  honored  by  your  candor,  Monsieur  le 
Comte,"  Mademoiselle  brightened,  though  she 
was  not  yet  reassured.  "And  since  I  can  do  no 
less,  let  me  copy  your  example.  I  am,  in  my  own 
right,  the  Marquise  de  Beauvais."  Which  was 
her  delicate  way  of  fixing  her  unmarried 
state. 

The  Comte  de  Bonnefois  bowed  low,  while  the 


244       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Marquise  seized  the  opportunity  of  a  quick 
glance  of  inquiry  at  her  lady  companion. 

"And  how  is  the  Comtesse,  that  dear  lady?  " 
she  next  demanded,  seeing  that  something  needed 
to  be  said. 

"  I  wonder,"  said  De  Bonnefois,  "  if  you  may 
not  be  thinking  of  some  one  else.  I  wish  the  re- 
mark applied  to  me,"  he  smiled  sadly.  "  There 
is  no  Comtesse  de  Bonnefois.  That  is  why  I  go 
to  make  my  devoirs  to  the  King,  and  implore  to 
be  sent  on  some  desperate  errand  or  other,  in 
which  " — he  sighed  and  leaned  back  in  his  seat — 
"  I  may  forget  my  ennui." 

"  I  only  trust,  Monsieur,  your  errand  will  be 
by  no  means  desperate.  These  times  themselves 
begin  to  be  desperate.  France  can  ill  spare  any 
pillar  such  as  you  should  be." 

"  Yes,  my  lady,  it  is  so,  I  suppose.  The  times 
were  never  so  bad — when  peers  of  the  realm  are 
privileged  to  rifle  the  estates  of  their  friends,  and 
even  imprison  those  who  protest!  One  never 
knows  where  he  will  meet  the  assassin.  I  sur- 
vive, I  take  it,  because  I  lead  a  charmed  life.  Let 
me  tell  you!"  De  Bonnefois  leaned  forward. 
"  You  will  never  believe  this.  But  I  have  even 
faced  the  redoubtable  Canardin  himself  and  got 
off  scot  free ! " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       245 

"You,  Monsieur?  Be  careful  how  you  trust 
yourself  to  that  man !  I  have  heard  of  his  out- 
rageous audacity.  When  will  he  ever  be  brought 
to  terms ! " 

The  Comte  de  Bonnefois  leaned  back  again. 
"  I  suppose,  Mademoiselle,  Monsieur  Canardin 
will  have  to  be  endured,  like  the  plague,  until  he 
becomes  extinct." 

"  I  wish  I  had  your  philosophy,  Monsieur. 
Extinction  and  Canardin  seem  to  be  far  apart! 
He  is  young,  and  daily  grows  stronger.  Truly  it 
is  frightening,  the  hold  he  is  gaining  on  the  popu- 
lace. Yet  such  a  man  must  have  extraordinary 
powers.  I  cannot  believe  he  is  wicked  at  heart. 
So  much  of  what  he  does  is  right.  It  is  only  his 
way  that  is " 

"Shall  we  say,  abrupt?"  laughed  De  Bonne- 
fois. 

Perhaps  the  Marquise  de  Beauvais  spoke  a  lit- 
tle more  warmly  than  she  intended.  At  any  rate 
De  Bonnefois  leaned  toward  her  with  an  odd 
smile. 

"You  will  pardon  me,  Madame.  But  those 
are  strange  sentiments  from  one  of  your  rank. 
Are  they  general?  I  begin  to  understand  the 
strength  you  allot  to  that  Canardin ! " 

"I  give  you  my  word,  Monsieur,"  the  chal- 


246       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

lenged  lady  defended  herself,  her  eyes  snapping 
sincerely  enough,  "  while  it  would  frighten  me 
horribly  if  we  should  be  stopped  on  the  road  by 
Monsieur  Canardin,  I  am  burning  to  meet  that 
celebrity!  Ah,  Monsieur,  what  a  pity  it  would 
be  to  see  a  man  of  his  abilities  wasted — broken 
on  the  wheel !  " 

"It  would  so,"  said  De  Bonnefois  quietly. 
"  My  dear  Paul,"  he  addressed  his  own  compan- 
ion, "  if  there  were  only  one  other  such  champion, 
I  fancy  you  yourself  might  consent  to  be  Can- 
ardin ! " 

As  this  was  said  with  a  good  deal  of  point,  and 
obviously  had  to  do  with  some  topic  privy  to  the 
gentlemen  themselves,  both  the  ladies  politely 
looked  away.  At  which  De  Bonnefois,  of  course, 
recalled  himself.  "Will  you  forgive  me,  Mes- 
demoiselles!  And  you,  Paul!  May  I  pre- 
sent my  own  devoted  friend,  Monsieur  de 
Brillat?  » 

The  Marquise  de  Beauvais  presented  the 
gentlemen  to  her  companion,  Mademoiselle  Lu- 
cille Leconnais.  Bows  were  made,  but  after 
that,  until  luncheon  time,  the  conversation  re- 
mained where  this  had  brought  it,  among  the 
small  amiabilities.  A  stop  was  made  at  a  con- 
venient inn,  and  though  De  Bonnefois  courte- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       247 

ously  begged  their  company  at  table,  the  ladies 
excused  themselves  to  eat  in  private. 

"  I  do  hope,  Julie,"  said  Cecile  de  Grammont, 
when  they  were  alone,  " — though  I  swear  I 
couldn't  help  it — I  do  hope  I  was  not  indiscreet 
in  supporting  Canardin  before  that  utter 
stranger.  You  think  I  was?  Evidently  you 
do,"  she  added,  for  Julie  was  barely  able  to  re- 
strain her  excited  laughter. 

"  One  never  can  tell  in  these  days,  it  is  true, 
who's  who,"  Julie,  with  a  laugh,  let  drop  for 
whatever  it  was  worth  to  Cecile. 

"  It's  little  I  care !  "  that  good  lady  exclaimed. 
"  He  saw  himself  the  sense  of  what  I  said.  Evi- 
dently there  are  others  who  think  as  I  do  in  re- 
gard to  Canardin.  The  question  is,  How  shall 
we  accommodate  Canardin  when  he  joins  us! 
You  don't  suppose  he's  taken  affright " 

Here  both  ladies  were  obliged  to  laugh  at  the 
entrance  of  Armand  de  Lavallais,  ludicrous  in  a 
straw-colored  wig  and  the  general  habiliments  of 
a  maitre  d'hotel.  "  Well !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  what 
do  you  think  of  him?  Have  you  counted  the  con- 
tents of  your  pockets?  " 

"  Think  of  whom?  The  Comte  de  Bonnefois?  " 
Ce"cile  ran  to  him.  "  He  begins  to  be  charming, 
Armand!  Not  enough,  of  course,  to  give  you 


248       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

alarm.  But  my  dear!  What  about  Canardin? 
Do  you  suppose  he  has  got  wind  of  this?  And 
declines  to  trust  us?  " 

"  '  The  Comte  de  Bonnefois  ' !  "  De  Lavallais 
asked  stupidly. 

"  My  dear  Ce"cile ! "  Julie  laughingly  embraced 
her  friend.  "  He's  so  beautifully  taken  you  in !  " 

"  You  mean  Monsieur  le  Comte  de ?  " 

"  Who  else !  "  Armand  corroborated.  "  Ssh ! 
Not  so  loud!  That  is  he,  my  own!  Come! 
Give  over  the  prank!  The  excitement  is  too 
much  for  you.  See  how  you  tremble ! " 


CHAPTER  XV 

CONSIDERING  her  agitation,  Cecile  de 
Grammont  exhibited  no  little  courage  as 
they  took  their  places  in  the  coach  again,  on  the 
resumption  of  the  journey.  For  some  little  time 
she  feared  to  speak,  for  fear  of  betraying  the 
quiver  in  her  voice. 

Whether  or  not  Canardin  guessed  the  cause  of 
her  agitation,  he  could  scarcely  help  noticing  the 
fact  of  it,  and  did  his  best  to  set  her  at  her  ease. 
Apparently  intent  on  amusing  himself  with  the 
situation,  he  insisted  on  keeping  up  the  fiction  of 
their  pretended  identities,  and  said,  when  they 
were  comfortably  settled  again, 

"  If  it  is  not  an  intrusion,  my  dear  lady,  you 
interested  me  greatly  this  morning  with  your 
evident  interest  in  the  welfare  of  France.  I  have 
found  such  interest  unusual.  Most  of  us  are 
concerned  with  our  own  private  pleasures.  And 
I  must  accuse  myself,  along  with  the  rest !  " 

This  looked  like  a  promising  beginning,  but 
Cecile  was  still  too  violently  atremble  to  venture 


250       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

more  than  polite  assent,  and  waited  for  what  was 
to  come. 

The  Comte  de  Bonnefois  went  on.  "  I  also 
meant  to  make  some  fitting  response  to  your  very 
kindly  sentiments  toward  that  strange  man,  Can- 
ardin.  Sentiments  with  which  I  have  some  sym- 
pathy. Now,  perhaps,  you  will  forgive  me  if  I 
tell  you  I  think  you  attach  a  too  great  importance 
to  him.  Since  the  death  of  Colbert — a  loss  that 
few  of  us  realize — our  factories  have  gone  into 
a  decline.  No  one  makes  laces.  Industry  has 
disappeared.  The  French  peasant  no  longer 
farms ;  he  begs.  And  goes  to  jail  when  he  cannot 
pay  his  taxes.  The  nobles  oppress  him  even 
when  he  does.  Well,  such  things  spread  unhap- 
piness.  It  is  not  your  Canardin  that  is  strong. 
It  is  French  misery  that  is  mighty.  That  misery 
will  insist  on  having  a  spokesman — if  not  one 
man,  then  another." 

"  But,  Monsieur !  "  Julie  spoke  up  before  she 
was  aware  of  it.  "  You  will  notice,  it  insists 
upon  having  a  good  one !  " 

De  Bonnefois  bowed,  as  Julie  received  a  re- 
proving glance  from  C6cile,  as  much  as  to  say, 

"Peace,  child!  How  little  you  know  him! 
Leave  him  to  me !  "  To  De  Bonnefois  she  said, 
"  I  hope  you  will  forgive  me,  Monsieur,  but — you 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       251 

speak  with  such  evident  knowledge — is  it  pos- 
sible that  you  know  that  extraordinary  man?  " 

"  Monsieur  Canardin,"  he  laughed,  "  is  a  man, 
I  fancy,  of  few  intimates!  But  I  can  see  that 
the  question  of  Canardin  is  perhaps  deeper  than 
you  imagine.  Such  a  man  feels  that  he  has  a 
function  to  perform — duties  to  his  poorer  coun- 
trymen that  are  not  lightly  laid  aside  for  the 
pleasures  of  the  salon.  Call  him  perverted  if 
you  will,  but  you  will  not  easily  make  a  lap  dog 
of  such  rude  material !  " 

"  No  one  wants  it,  Monsieur ! "  the  proud 
daughter  of  the  De  Grammonts  was  warming  to 
the  argument.  "  You  have  supplied  me  with 
your  own  words!  How  could  he  not  perform 
those  duties  of  his,  if  he  brought  his  generous 
heart  and  his  knowledge  of  the  poor  to  the  King, 
and  then  went  forth  to  his  work  with  the  full 
power  of  the  State  behind  him !  Pah !  "  Cecile 
suddenly  forgot  to  argue  and  became  a  woman. 
"  I  have  no  patience  with  your  friend  Canardin ! 
What  a  loss  to  France  he  is,  Monsieur !  " 

De  Bonnefois  showed  himself  suitably  amused. 
"If  only,  Mademoiselle,"  he  said  drily,  "facts 
were  not  so  deaf  to  argument.  There  is  one 
fact  about  your  protegS  that  has  been  over- 
looked." 


252       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  That  is,  Monsieur?  "  C6cile  demanded. 

"  He  has  soiled  himself  beyond  reclaim.  And 
to  begin  with,  he  is  a  man  of  mean  birth." 

"  What,  my  friend !  Monsieur  Canardin  be- 
longs to  the  one  aristocracy  I  can  acknowledge — 
the  aristocracy  of  brains !  " 

"  Would  you  forgive  me  again,  Mademoiselle, 
if  I  reminded  you  of  facts?  Heaven's  standard 
— your  standard — of  men  is  not  yet  the  standard 
of  France." 

"  With  Moliere,  an  upholsterer's  son,  by  the 
King's  own  word  the  chief  adornment  of  his 
reign?  " 

"  Monsieur  Moliere,"  observed  De  Bonnefois, 
"has  been  wise  enough  to  steal  nothing  but 
ideas." 

This  would  have  ended  the  passage  in  a  peal 
of  laughter,  but  that  the  Marquise  de  Beauvais 
had  still  a  word  more.  "  No,  Monsieur  le  Comte, 
I  am  coming  to  think  otherwise  of  your  Can- 
ardin. When  so  much  might  come  of  him,  it  is 
nothing  but  a  monstrous  pride,  and  a  false  one, 
that  keeps  him  out  of  it ! " 

"  It  may  be  his  preference,  Mademoiselle.  And 
that  too  is  a  fact.  He  might  say  it  was  kind  if 
you  made  him  a  Due,  and  still  like  it  better  to  be 
a  little  king  in  his  own  way.  We  all  have  lean- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       253 

ings  that  way,  Mademoiselle.  Even  I.  Perhaps 
you !  "  De  Bonnef ois  laughed.  "  When  the  jew- 
eler sells  you  false  gems,  would  you  not  behead 
him  if  you  dared?  Well,  that  is  what  Canardin 
does.  Sometimes  the  method  has  its  merits,  I 
think,  when  I  see  (as  I  have  seen)  sweet  girls 
robbed,  disgraced,  by  a  man  who  is  sleek,  sub- 
stantially placed,  and  beyond  the  reach  of  even 
reproach."  De  Bonnef  ois  aimed  that  especially 
at  Julie,  who  hastily  glanced  away. 

"Ah,  Monsieur ! "  The  pretended  Marquise 
leaned  forward,  smiling,  with  her  bold  stroke. 
"  I  believe  you  yourself  are  Canardin ! " 

"  I  am,  Mademoiselle,"  said  De  Bonnefois  im- 
perturbably.  "At  heart.  Each  one  of  us  is. 
That  man,  alone  in  France,  has  the  daring  to  be 
himself.  And  yet  you  would  cure  him  of  that !  " 

Seeing  that  he  was  only  immensely  amused 
with  this  fencing  of  wits,  that  he  was  only  mock- 
ing her,  Cecile,  with  eyes  and  hands  upraised,  fell 
back  in  her  seat,  to  indicate  that  he  was  hopeless. 
Nothing  could  have  touched  him  more.  Julie 
was  piqued  to  notice  as  much.  And  De  Bonne- 
fois was  all  the  more  touched  as  he  himself  no- 
ticed that. 

"Speaking  as  a  man,"  he  said,  addressing 
Cecile,  "  it  seems  to  me  you  have  yourself  over- 


254       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

looked  the  strongest  argument  you  have  em- 
ployed." 

"  And  what  is  that?  "  Julie  interposed. 

"  The  one  I  have  just  listened  to,"  De  Bonne- 
fois  began,  and  strangely  broke  off  in  a  wave  of 
his  hand  to  an  apparent  acquaintance  standing 
at  a  garden  gateway  by  the  wayside — a  gesture, 
it  occurred  to  Cecile,  which  he  had  used  more 
than  once  during  the  afternoon.  "  The  gentle 
words  of  a  sweet  and  lovely  woman,"  he  finished. 

There  Julie  exchanged  a  glance  with  her  C6- 
cile,  but  nothing  came  of  it,  because  the  Comte  de 
Bonnefois  now  indeed  felt  moved  to  talk.  With 
a  searching  look,  at  C6cile,  Julie  was  pleased  to 
observe,  he  launched  volubly  into  a  different 
strain  altogether. 

"  Strange  fancies  occur  to  one  on  a  journey," 
he  said.  "  Perhaps  you  will  forgive  me.  It  may 
help  to  pass  the  time.  It  seems  to  me  strange. 
Perhaps  you  will  enlighten  me.  I  have  often 
been  accused  of  impiety,  Mademoiselle.  And  one 
never  knows  when  he  will  be  called  to  account  for 
it.  Or  how  soon,"  De  Bonnefois  laughed  gently. 
"  To-night,  perhaps.  One  of  Canardin's  bullets 
may  find  me.  Yet  who  would  not  rage  as  I  do !  " 
He  pointed  to  an  elm  that,  in  their  rapid  passing, 
looked  like  a  wineglass  filled  and  brimming  with 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       255 

a  liquid  green.  "  Such  a  tree  I  admire.  Prob- 
ably not  as  you  whose  natures  are  more  exquis- 
itely attuned.  Enough,  only,  to  turn  me  melan- 
choly. I  notice  only  that  that  thing  is  so  beauti- 
ful, and  that  I  shall  be  here  such  a  short  while 
to  enjoy  it.  Perhaps  you  can  tell  me.  Why 
should  that  tree  live  so  much  longer  than  a  man? 
Is  it  impious  to  ask  that?  " 

"  Then,  Monsieur,  life  is  sweet  to  you?  "  Julie 
asked,  to  her  own  and  to  general  surprise. 

"  It  has  given  me  much  to  be  grateful  for, 
Mademoiselle,"  he  answered  her,  as  gently  as  she 
asked  it.  "  So  many  lovely  sights !  "  he  smiled, 
till  she  hurried  her  gaze  away  from  him. 

At  which  he  also  turned  away,  with  a  sudden 
drop  into  indifference,  to  the  less  lovely  but  still 
respectable  scene  outside,  and  fell  into  such  a 
tribute  to  the  French  landscape,  forest  and  pas- 
toral, so  full  of  a  lively  fancy,  so  burdened  with 
acute  observation,  so  touched  with  poetry,  that 
at  first  Cecile  was  amazed  and  fascinated,  and 
then  disappointed,  while  Julie  was  moved  so  that 
she  almost  sang. 

"  It  is  no  use !  "  said  Ce"cile  to  herself. 

"  He  is  touched !  He  is  melting !  "  said  Julie. 
"But  he  is  proud!  He  is  shy!  And  he  will 
have  his  pleasantry  with  us !  " 


256       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

That  night,  at  another  inn,  Armand  de  Laval- 
lais  said  to  his  lady,  "  It  is  too  much !  The  strain 
is  undoing  you!  By  now  you  see  that  he  is  be- 
yond you!  Let  me  shoot  him  forthwith,  and 
have  done  with  it !  " 

"  My  dear  Armand !  "  said  C6cile,  with  a  calm 
and  penetration  that  won  the  admiration  of 
Julie.  "  You  would  not  survive  the  half  of  a  sec- 
ond, if  you  tried  it !  The  road  is  fairly  lined  with 
his  henchmen !  At  every  rod  he  nodded  to  some 
gardener  or  peasant,  at  work  beside  the  road ! " 

"  But  you  cannot  go  on  with  this,  if  that  is  the 
case ! " 

"Armand,  by  this  time  to-morrow  I  shall  have 
him  in  hand !  He  has  been  vain  enough  to  want 
to  create  an  impression !  " 

"  Trap  that  wild  hawk  with  a  bit  of  feminine 
flattery!" 

"  You  shall  see !  "  Ce"cile  pronounced,  meaning 
that  to  be  final. 

"  You  shall  see !  "  repeated  De  Lavallais  under 
his  breath,  for  already  he  was  coming  to  realize 
that  logic  was  not  always  triumphant  over  a  De 
Grammont ! 


CHAPTER  XVI 

TN  the  morning,  when  their  journey  was  con- 
•*•  tinned,  CScile  de  Grammont,  always  proud, 
and  on  occasions  like  this,  when  she  very  much 
wanted  her  way,  inclined  to  be  imperious,  was 
now  more  than  ever  annoyed  by  De  Bonnefois's 
further  taste  for  mockery.  He  chose  to  observe 
a  stubborn  and  settled  silence. 

"  He  is  as  capricious  as  a  woman ! "  she  com- 
plained to  herself. 

Whereas  her  own  taste  was  for  an  immediate 
burst  of  candor  on  the  part  of  all  of  them,  opened 
by  herself,  perhaps  like  this : 

"  Now,  my  dear  Monsieur  Canardin,  let  us 
drop  all  this  pretense  and  be  sensible ! "  Prob- 
ably a  dozen  times  this  beginning  was  ready  to 
slip  from  the  end  of  her  tongue,  and  a  dozen 
times  she  faltered  before  something  in  the  man's 
eye,  which  made  her  feel  a  strange  power  that 
brooked  no  trifling,  not  even  at  the  hands  of  a  De 
Grammont.  From  time  to  time  De  Bonnefois 
consented  to  exchange  a  glance  with  her;  but  to 
a  pretty  woman,  that  is  the  most  casual  of  her 
rights.  And  from  time  to  time  she  made  efforts 


258       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

less  candid  than  she  would  have  liked,  to  draw 
him  out.  He  was  civil  enough  in  response,  yet 
almost  cool.  Sometimes  she  fancied  a  flicker  of 
amusement  crossed  his  eyes. 

"  He's  thinking  it  over !  "  she  consoled  herself. 
"  We've  given  him  enough  to  consider,  certainly. 
He  looks  positively  sad,  at  moments.  Bidding 
his  confounded  old  forests  farewell,  no  doubt ! " 

For  all  De  Bonnefois's  feigned  indifference  to 
the  ladies  within  the  coach,  however,  his  interest 
in  persons  along  the  wayside  appeared  to  have 
doubled.  Xot  a  vehicle  passed  but  he  scanned  it 
with  the  closest  attention,  and  one  or  two  of  them 
he  watched  for  as  long  as  he  could  through  the 
window  at  the  rear,  beween  the  interested  faces 
of  Cecile  and  Julie.  Now  and  then  he  waved  a 
hand  or  nodded  to  some  lonely  worker  in  a  field. 

"  What  is  the  man  laying  ready  for  us !  "  Ce"cile 
thought  to  herself.  Aloud,  to  De  Bonnefois,  she 
said  rather  pointedly,  "  You  have  an  astonishing 
acquaintance,  Monsieur  le  Comte  de  Bonnefois !  " 

"  I  have  always  tried  to  be  friendly  to  the  poor, 
Mademoiselle,"  he  answered  quietly,  with  an- 
other glance  at  her  from  his  oddly  penetrating 
eye.  "  I  have  a  conceited  notion  that  perhaps  it 
helps  to  keep  France  in  order." 

Scarcely  had  he  spoken  when  C6cile  de  Gram- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       259 

mont  made  the  acquaintance  of  still  another  side 
to  her  remarkable  fellow  traveler.  Whether  she 
screamed  or  not  she  never  afterward  could  re- 
member. But  in  a  flash  the  dreamy  gentleman 
opposite  her  was  transformed  into  a  man  with 
blazing  eyes,  his  every  muscle  tense  as  wire. 
From  apparently  nowhere  a  pistol  had  appeared 
in  his  hand,  so  swiftly  drawn  from  his  pocket 
that  her  eye  had  missed  the  motion. 

In  a  second  or  two  she  had  the  explanation,  as 
a  horseman  emerged  from  the  leafy  alders  shroud- 
ing the  entrance  to  a  lane.  He  struck  into  a 
gallop,  swept  into  the  highroad,  and  passed  close 
to  their  coach,  not  without  a  long  and  impudent 
stare  within. 

"Ah !  Good  day,  Brideau !  "  De  Bonnef ois 
called  to  the  fellow.  "How  goes  the  chase? 
Shall  we  soon  catch  up  for  a  sight  of  the 
hounds? " 

The  rider  answered  something  unintelligible  to 
Ce"cile,  and  was  speedily  away,  on  the  road  before 
them. 

"  I  must  ask  pardon,"  said  De  Bonnefois,  as 
he  replaced  his  weapon.  "At  first  I  thought  he 
wore  Canardin's  livery,  but  I  see  it  was  that  of 
the  Due  de  Morbihan.  In  these  times,  you  know, 
one  takes  no  chances." 


260       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Cecile  looked  sharply,  after  that  dry  speech. 
Her  face  might  still  be  white,  but  her  wits  were 
about  her.  "As  you  say,  Monsieur,"  she  herself 
said  drily,  "  one  takes  no  chances  with  the  great 
Canardin  about ! " 

Again  De  Bonnefois  turned  upon  her  a  long 
glance  of  study.  "  It  would  afford  me  the  great- 
est happiness,"  he  said,  "  to  defend  Mademoiselle 
from  Canardin.  Who  knows  when  the  occasion 
will  occur ! " 

After  that,  for  the  remainder  of  the  day,  De 
Bonnefois  remained  the  more  silent  and  the  more 
intently  watchful.  It  is  true  that  when  Charlieu 
was  reached,  where  they  were  to  put  up  for  the 
night,  he  once  more  courteously  begged  the 
ladies  for  the  honor  of  their  presence  at  table, 
but  again  they  pleaded  the  fatigue  of  the  jour- 
ney, with  no  more  relief  to  themselves  than  to 
him. 

"  Well,  my  dear ! "  asked  De  Lavallais,  still  in 
the  ill-fitting  livery  of  a  major-domo,  when  he 
had  stowed  away  the  ladies'  belongings,  and 
found  a  minute  to  be  alone  with  them.  "  Do  you 
really  care  to  risk  more  of  it?  Have  you  tamed 
the  gentle  duckling?  We  can  stop  it,  you  know, 
whenever  you  say." 

"  Armand !     Kemember  your  word !  " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       261 

"  But,  my  dear !  The  jest  may  be  carried  too 
far !  Remember,  yourself,  who  he  is.  And  what 
have  you  accomplished  with  him,  pray?  " 

"Well,"  said  C4cile,  with  her  head  thought- 
fully on  one  side,  hating  to  admit  her  poor  suc- 
cess, yet  grasping  for  some  justification.  "  He's 
vain  enough  to  want  to  make  an  impression  on 
us.  You  should  have  heard  him  spout  about  his 
wretched  trees  and  hills !  Ugh !  A  hill  is  only 
something  laborious  to  walk  up.  But  make  no 
mistake,  Armand,  he's  thoroughly  the  gentleman. 
I  think  we've  touched  him.  Isn't  it  so, 
Julie?" 

Julie,  looking  out  a  window  into  the  night,  had 
not  heard. 

"  It  is  too  much  to  expect,  that  he  should  yield 
at  the  first  attack,  Armand.  That  is  scarcely  his 
way." 

"  That  is  his  way ! "  De  Lavallais  agreed.  "As 
you  will  soon  find!  Come!  Before  anything 
happens  to  startle  you " 

"  Not  a  word  more,  Armand,  dear.  You  for- 
get that  I  have  his  ring  to  flash  at  him — in  case 
of  the  worst.  You  yourself  found  it" — Ce"cile 
taunted  him  with  a  naughty  smile — "  honored  at 
that '  bank '  of  his,  eh,  my  dear?  It  is  here  - 

As  she  made  that  remark,  Mademoiselle  de 


262       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Grammont  put  her  hand  into  her  purse.  She  fin- 
ished speaking  before  she  finished  her  fumbling, 
for  the  green  jade  trinket  was  gone. 

On  the  following  day,  when  they  proceeded, 
Cecile  de  Grammont  noted  another  mysterious 
change  in  Canardin.  A  shift  further  away  from 
her.  He  maintained  an  outward  calm,  it  is  true. 
When  he  was  not  keeping  the  usual  scrutiny  on 
the  passing  traffic,  he  seemed  to  be  wholly  occu- 
pied with  his  thoughts,  as  before.  Yet  under  all 
this  outward  calm,  Cecile  detected  a  rising  ex- 
citement. A  flush  came  into  his  cheeks,  a  lively 
light  to  his  eye,  and  he  shifted  constantly  in  his 
seat. 

"Ah !  "  he  once  burst  forth.  "  My  muscles  itch 
for  a  stretching !  What  a  place  " — he  pointed  to 
a  rolling  expanse  of  sward  beside  the  way,  where 
a  few  sheep  nibbled  the  dewy  grass  of  early  morn- 
ing— "  what  a  spot  for  a  tussle !  A  good,  pum- 
meling  one ! " 

It  was  almost  his  sole  comment  of  the  day. 
De  Bonnefois's  companion,  or  secretary,  who,  it 
now  struck  the  ladies,  had  said  not  a  word  this 
while,  caught  something  of  his  master's  taci- 
turnity, and  expressed  it  in  his  own  way.  That 
is,  while  he  had  said  nothing  with  his  tongue  on 
the  journey,  his  eyes  had  been  eloquent  enough 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       263 

in  compliments  to  Mademoiselle  Julie !  He  now 
forbore  even  those,  and  studied  the  traffic  on  the 
road  with  as  much  interest  as  his  chief.  On  the 
whole,  it  must  be  admitted,  the  ladies'  scheme  for 
bringing  this  arch  sinner  to  repentance  in  the 
bosom  of  good  society  prospered  little  that  day. 

And  on  the  next  day  also,  matters  passed  in 
much  the  same  fashion,  except  that  now  the  sec- 
retary's lively  interest  in  their  surroundings  had 
grown  into  a  very  visible  excitement.  Time  and 
again  he  attempted  some  sort  of  sign,  or  aside,  to 
the  Comte,  only  to  be  hushed  at  once. 

In  the  afternoon,  however,  De  Bonnefois's 
thoughts,  whatever  they  were,  appeared  to  have 
come  to  some  conclusion.  He  laid  his  tacitur- 
nity aside  and  as  suddenly  launched  into  the 
most  extravagant  gayety.  If,  earlier,  the  beau- 
ties of  Nature  had  engaged  his  fancy,  how  was  it 
now  touched  by  the  beauties  of  human  nature — 
and  to  such  greater  satisfaction  on  the  part  of 
Ce"cile  de  Grammont! 

"  I  perceive,  Mademoiselle,"  he  said,  so  that 
she  started  quickly,  "there  is  no  escape  from 
you ! " 

"  How  so,  Monsieur !  "  she  was  eager  enough 
to  catch  him  up.  Julie,  at  this,  also  recalled  her 
eyes  from  their  melancholy  gaze  out  the  window. 


264       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  You  see  " — De  Bonnefois  was  pointing  to  a 
pretty  spectacle  in  an  orchard  they  passed.  Un- 
der a  tree  blushing  with  the  buds  of  spring,  a 
young  rustic  and  a  girl  had  left  off  husbandry  of 
the  soil  and  turned  to  much  more  engaging  busi- 
ness. "  You  see,  like  that  tree,  she  is  blushing  at 
the  first  words  of  love.  That,  at  least,  will  be 
your  own  thought.  It  does  you  credit.  My  own 
idea  is  different — and  less  creditable !  " 

"  And  that  is,  Monsieur ?  " 

"  There  is  no  more  peace  in  the  world  for  that 
young  fellow !  "  he  laughed.  "  It  is  over  for  him ! 
He  is  done  for !  " 

"Ah,  Monsieur ! "  C6cile  brightened  willingly 
with  him.  This  humor  of  his  was  more  to  her 
liking.  "  You  have  recalled  something !  I  be- 
lieve you  remarked  it  yourself.  There  is  the  ar- 
gument we  have  never  tried  on  Monsieur  Can- 
ardin !  How  stupid  of  us,  Julie ! "  Ce"cile 
clapped  her  hands. 

"  That  poor,  neglected  Canardin !  "  De  Bonne- 
fois railed  on.  "  Not  a  bullet  in  France  can  find 
his  heart.  Yet  if  Canardin  himself  wears  a 
magic  against  the  shaft  you  have  had  in  your 
hands  all  along,  then  he  isn't  a  man — not  even  a 
beast,  when  the  birds  themselves  twitter  of  noth- 
ing but  love ! " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       265 

Any  gentleman  of  passing  qualities  who  speaks 
however  aimlessly  of  love  to  two  bewitching 
women  is  fairly  certain  of  two  willing  listeners. 
Under  the  circumstances,  the  Comte  de  Bonne- 
fois,  so-called,  was  certain  of  double  the  usual 
measure  of  interest. 

"  If  you  plan  a  rehearsal  upon  me,  Mesdemoi- 
selles,"  said  De  Bonnefois,  "  I  shall  be  more  anx- 
ious than  ever  to  stretch  my  muscles — especially 
those  of  the  legs!  And  it  is  five  days  more  to 
Paris !  "  he  mourned  to  himself. 

"  I  should  have  said,  Monsieur,"  C6cile  put  on 
her  most  ravishing  smile — "  that  you  were  a  man 
totally  indifferent  to  eyes." 

"  Mademoiselle,"  said  De  Bonnefois  with  a  low 
bow,  "  I  have  made  that  my  business  in  life — the 
avoidance  of  eyes !  "  The  point  of  this  brought 
such  a  laugh  from  them  all,  even  to  a  smile  from 
the  secretary,  that  De  Bonnefois  was  further  en- 
couraged. "  You  have  remarked,  Mademoiselle, 
on  my  understanding  of  the  celebrated  Canardin. 
Permit  a  confession.  The  sympathy  springs 
from  something  I  have  in  common  with  that  man. 
He  too  fears  only  one  danger  in  the  world — a 
woman  as  pretty  as  yourselves,  if  there  were 
one!" 

"  I  should  say,  Monsieur,"  Cecile  flashed  back, 


266       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  that  your  friend  Canardin  was  not  in  the  way 
of  being  pursued  by  woman !  "  And  again  this 
man  piqued  her  interest  enormously. 

"  Well,  Mademoiselle,"  he  said,  leaning  far 
back  again,  and  with  the  old  dreamy  gaze 
through  the  window,  "  from  my  own  experience 
I  should  say  that  is  no  great  pleasure  to  Can- 
ardin ! " 

Somehow  this  promising  spark  had  died  down 
again.  Yet  in  a  moment,  touched  perhaps  by  the 
look  of  crushing  disappointment  he  had  brought 
to  Cecile's  eyes,  De  Bonnefois  revived  it 
again. 

"Yet  I  own,"  he  said,  "the  hangman  will 
need  to  hurry,  when  a  lady  like  yourself  disputes 
his  right  to  that  miscreant ! " 

She  burst  into  tears.  "  Oh,  Monsieur,"  she 
cried,  "  you  are  so  heartless !  " 

"  But  I  give  you  my  word,  Mademoiselle,"  he 
fetched  her  back  to  good  humor  again,  "  I  am  not 
for  seeing  Canardin  hanged !  "  They  all  laughed 
at  this.  "  You,  Mademoiselle,  are  the  heartless. 
You  want  to  see  him  married !  " 

"  If  you  please,  Monsieur ! "  Ce"cile  protested, 
through  more  laughter.  "  It  is  serious.  I  mean 
it."  She  looked  at  her  man  with  such  eyes  as — 
would  have  maddened  poor  Armand  above !  And 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       267 

seemed  so  bursting  to  flood  out  her  full  thought 
in  speech  that  De  Bonnefois  himself  was  soft- 
ened. 

"  Mademoiselle,"  he  said, "  it  is  an  honor  to  me, 
as  a  man,  to  listen  to  such  sentiments  toward 
your  friend  Canardin.  It  seems  a  pity " — De 
Bonnefois  looked  away  through  the  window,  in 
the  old  sadness  again — "  it  seems  a  pity  to  crush 
such  utterly  lovely  hopes  as  yours.  But  save 
yourself  from  the  bitterness  of  failure," 

"  Failure,  Monsieur?  "  Cecile  gasped  excitedly. 
And  the  black  eyes  of  Julie  widened. 

"  Failure,"  he  said.  "  I  do  not  know  your 
friend  Canardin.  No  one  does.  Perhaps  not 
even  Canardin ! " 

"  Then  who  are  you,  or  himself,  to  speak  of 
failure !  "  Cecile  interrupted. 

"  But  I  can  think,"  De  Bonnefois  went  on  un- 
heeding, "  of  at  least  two  reasons  for  it." 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  your  Canardin  dwells  in  a 
realm  above  love !  "  Cecile  taunted. 

"  I  am  not  so  sure,"  said  De  Bonnefois  slowly 
— with  a  long  glance  at  Julie. 

"  Well,  then !     The  two  reasons !  " 

De  Bonnefois  turned  his  gaze  to  Ce"cile — the 
saddest  eyes  she  had  ever  looked  into.  "  Where, 
Mademoiselle  " — she  could  barely  hear  him — 


268       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  where  is  the  woman  to  throw  herself  away  on  a 
thief?  What  woman  would?  " 

"  Yes,  Monsieur?  " 

"  That  is  the  first  reason/'  De  Bonnefois  was 
saying.  "  What  woman  would?  The  second  rea- 
son is  stronger.  What  woman  should?  " 

There  Julie  did  speak.  "  Because  I  will  tell 
you ! "  she  blazed,  so  that  the  others  took  atti- 
tudes at  what  she  said.  "  Canardin  is  not  a 
thief!  He's  a  revolutionary!  Armand  himself 
has  said  so." 

Affrighted  at  her  own  rash  outburst,  Julie 
buried  her  face  against  C4cile's  shoulder,  so  that 
that  excellent  lady  looked  in  wide  wonder  from 
De  Bonnefois's  averted  eyes  to  the  crimson 
cheeks  hiding  beside  her.  And  suddenly  compre- 
hended much. 

C6cile  decided  that  her  light  missionary  ef- 
fort for  the  improvement  of  Monsieur  Canardin, 
by  means  of  the  softening  influence  of  woman, 
had  taken  a  markedly  serious  turn.  That  eve- 
ning, at  the  end  of  their  third  day,  the  whole 
course  of  her  life  took  a  turn  beyond  even  the 
serious.  It  passed  the  boundaries  of  the  dra- 
matic. De  Bonnefois  again  had  asked  the  ladies 
to  dinner,  and  before  Ce"cile  had  recovered  she 
found  that  she  had  accepted. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THAT  evening  Canardin,  as  lie  removed  the 
stains  of  travel  in  the  privacy  of  his  apart- 
ments in  the  little  hotel  where  they  were  to  stay 
for  the  night,  hummed  a  little  tune.  If  he  had  a 
single  apparent  concern  in  the  world,  it  was  for 
the  excellence  of  the  dinner  which  was  soon  to 
be  served.  He  felt  of  the  napery,  he  railed  at  the 
silver.  The  flowers  he  had  ordered,  it  seemed, 
would  never  suit  him. 

His  secretary  was  not  so  calm  as  the  superior. 
He  said  nothing,  but  paced  the  floor,  wringing 
his  hands,  and  saying  more  with  his  imploring 
eyes  than  was  possible  in  speech. 

"  Be  calm,  my  dear  Paul !  "  Canardin  assured 
him  in  vain. 

"  But !  "  the  anguished  fellow's  gesture  seemed 
to  say,  "  it  is  too  late !  We  must  fly ! " 

"  I  am  not  so  sure !  "  laughed  Canardin. 

With  a  despairing  shrug,  the  slighter  man,  as 
if  forbidden  to  protest  in  spite  of  that  protested 
mutely.  "  Then  you  mean  to  surrender ! " 

"  Paul ! "  was  all  that  Canardin  said,  though 


270       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

he  made  the  other  quail  before  his  glance.  And 
the  host  himself  began  pacing  the  floor,  though 
still  humming  the  tune,  as  he  waited  for  the 
ladies'  knock. 

It  came,  as  light  as  a  feather,  and  they  entered. 
In  the  cheeks  of  both  of  them  burned  a  fever  of 
excitement  that  heightened  the  brilliancy  of  their 
coloring.  The  numerous  boxes  had  disgorged 
their  contents  by  now,  and  Cecile  had  wrapped 
her  lighter  beauty  in  a  robe  as  satiny  soft  as 
petals  of  pink.  But  if  one  were  the  rose,  the 
other  was  as  foaming  gold  wine.  Canardin — to 
drop  all  nonsense  of  De  Bonnefois  and  call  him 
that  now,  for  he  was  young  and  himself  again,  all 
the  delicate  pencilings  as  of  time  removed  from 
his  face  and  mustachios — fairly  reeled  at  sight  of 
the  blazing  girl,  steeled  as  he  was  against  shocks 
and  surprises.  By  all  the  subtle  but  potent  arts 
that  conceal  themselves  even  from  those  who 
employ  them,  she  willed  to  intoxicate  and  over- 
whelm him.  Her  two  black  eyes,  bubbling  with 
a  native  spirit  now  fired  to  a  still  deadlier  es- 
sence, seemed  to  have  gathered  to  themselves  all 
the  perils  in  Canardin's  lifetime  of  light-hearted 
scorning  of  peril.  He  stood  there  and  took  this 
deadly  wound  to  his  untamable  independence. 

Himself  bedight  in  claret,  in  the  best  efforts  of 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       271 

a  Paris  tailor,  he  hid  his  thrill  at  the  sight  of 
them  in  a  low  bow,  as  he  stepped  aside,  and  then 
closed  the  door  after  them.  For  a  second  or  two 
they  stopped  and  surveyed  each  other. 

Then  with  another  slight  inclination  Canardin 
said,  in  his  smooth  voice :  "  Welcome,  Mademoi- 
selle Cecile  de  Grammont,  and  Mademoiselle 
Julie  Lecoigneux ! "  And  at  this  abrupt  descent 
into  the  realities,  Cecile  could  not  prevent  the 
escape  of  a  chirrup  of  gay  satisfaction. 

"  This  is  your  place,  if  you  please  " — Canardin 
indicated  to  Cecile  her  station  at  the  right  of  a 
small  round  table.  "  And  yours  " — he  held  back, 
for  Julie,  the  chair  at  his  left.  "  My  friend  " — 
he  glanced  about  in  surprise,  for  the  young  man 
Paul  had  suddenly  disappeared  through  the  serv- 
ants' door — "  has  felt  obliged  to  excuse  himself. 
I  hope  you  are  fond  of  Brittany  oysters, 
Mesdemoiselles?  "  Canardin  went  on  smoothly, 
accustomed  to  be  disturbed  by  nothing.  "  They 
were  ordered  expressly.  I  was  not  sure  they 
would  reach  us  in  time,  but  happily  they  did. 
My  courier  must  have  hastened  at  tearing  speed 
to  get  them  here.  I  know  you  will  pardon  a 
little  pride,"  he  laughed,  "  in  the  excellence  of 
my  organization." 

for  he  addressed  himself  chiefly  to  her 


272       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

— "was  speechless  in  amazement  at  his  easy  trans- 
formation. 

"  It  is  needless,  of  course,  Mademoiselle,"  he 
smiled  to  C6cile,  "  to  introduce  myself."  With- 
out the  slightest  affectation  he  wore  the  air  of 
a  prince.  "  Of  course  I  am  Canardin.  Canardin 
the  ogre.  Canardin  the  cutthroat.  Canardin  the 
outlaw."  He  paused  and  smiled  at  the  shock  this 
information,  now  that  it  came,  had  really  given 
Ce*cile.  "  Perhaps  the  only  surprise  between  us, 
Mademoiselle,  is  that  I  should  have  known  from 
the  beginning  who  you  are.  Before  you  boarded 
the  coach  I  knew  you  would  do  so,"  Canardin 
laughed  his  low,  infectious  laugh.  "Again, 
Mademoiselle,  the  excellence  of  my  organiza- 
tion !  "  He  stole  a  sly  glance  at  Julie,  whose  at- 
tention to  an  oyster  happened  to  be  acute  at  that 
stage.  "What  is  more,  Mademoiselle,  long  be- 
fore you  made  it  clear  yourself,  I  knew  the  pur- 
pose of  your  journey.  And  you  made  the  venture 
in  spite  of  the  risk  of  meeting  Canardin!  In 
spite  of  the  risk  I  might  have  brought — if  that 
had  been  possible!  Need  I  say  how  that  alone 
has  touched  me — more  than  anything  else  you 
have  done  and  said?  May  I  say  that?  "  He  at- 
tacked an  oyster  on  his  own  part,  as  a  means  of 
concealing  a  twinge  of  shyness. 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       273 

As  Armand  and  Julie  had  been  before  her, 
Mademoiselle  de  Grainmont  was  taken  off  her 
feet  by  the  easy  dominance  of  this  strange  per- 
sonality. 

"  I  could  easily  have  dropped  you  along  the 
way,  Mademoiselle,  wherever  I  pleased,  as  I 
meant  to  do  at  one  time.  Certain  embarrass- 
ments appeared  to  lie  ahead.  For  us  all.  I  could, 
myself,  have  got  away  to  an  easy  escape  from  the 
trap  that  has  been  set  for  me  here."  Both  Julie 
and  Cecile  dropped  their  forks  and  raised  their 
eyes  at  that  quiet  remark.  "  But  Mademoiselle 
Julie  herself  has  done  me  the  honor  to  call  me 
something  a  trifle  better  than  the  first  outlaw  of 
France.  After  all,  France  bore  me  and  gave 
me  certain  duties  as  a  gentleman, — no,  not 
that ;  as  a  Frenchman ! "  Canardin  laughed 
easily. 

Cecile  and  Julie,  however,  had  not  yet  recov- 
ered from  his  remark  about  a  trap. 

Canardin  continued  in  the  smooth,  mellow 
voice.  "  May  I  remind  Mesdemoiselles  of  the  oys- 
ters?— So! — To  return.  I  might  have  escaped, 
but  the  strange  part  of  it  is,  I  seemed  to  have  no 
desire  to  escape !  I  leave  it  to  you,  Mademoiselle 
C4cile,  what  was  one  to  do?  It  is  not  often  that 
men  like  myself  are  made  over.  Yet  I  was  will- 


274       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

ing  to  have  it  happen  to  me  this  once.  These 
oysters  are  excellent,  don't  you  find?  " 

Canardin  swallowed  another,  with  a  very 
marked  relish.  Cecile  had  yet  to  touch  her  first. 

He  talked  cheerfully  on.  "  I  have  no  wish 
to  hurry  you,  Mesdemoiselles ;  at  the  same 
time  one  has  not  all  eternity  at  one's  disposal 
here." 

"  I  wonder  if  I  understood  you,  Monsieur?  " 
Cecile  faltered.  "  You  speak  of  a  trap?  " 

"  No  less.  This  place  is  surrounded.  If  you 
were  to  venture  to  the  window  you  would  see  the 
dim  figures  of  the  nearer  pickets.  They  are  un- 
der orders  to  the  Due  de  Morbihan.  The  Due  is 
probably  impatient  to  take  me  at  last.  It  is  a 
shame  that  I  have  kept  him  waiting  so  long. 
However,  I  am  sure  he  would  never  consent  to 
spoil  a  lady's  dinner." 

Cecile  had  risen,  without  waiting  to  hear  that 
last  grim  jest.  Able  neither  to  move  nor  to 
speak  clearly,  she  faltered,  "  Monsieur !  I  can't 
understand !  Is  it  possible !  "  She  and  Julie 
asked  each  other  a  single  anxious  question  with 
their  glances.  "  There  was  to  be  a  guard,  in- 
deed— for  our  common  protection." 

"  The  guard,  Mademoiselle,  I  happen  to  know, 
is  for  my  own  personal  capture.  Your  friend, 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       275 

the  Due  de  Morbihan,  had  no  intention  of  miss- 
ing me,  with  such  a  chance  as  this  in  his  way!  " 

"But,  Monsieur!  It  was  expressly  under- 
stood   Let  me  see  for  myself!"  Ctecile 

made  a  sign  of  steadying  herself  for  a  rush  to 
one  of  the  windows. 

Canardin  motioned  her  back  in  her  chair.  "  I 
would  say,  Mademoiselle,  that  if  orders  are  to 
be  given  those  men  outside,  the  orders  would  be 
more  effective,  not  to  say  appropriate,  if  they 
came  from  your  friend,  Monsieur  Armand  de 
Lavallais.  And  by  the  way,  I  should  despise 
that  gentleman  if  he  were  not  at  the  door  outside 
with  a  dagger  in  each  hand.  Let  us  see." 

In  three  strides  of  his  light  tread  Canardin 
was  at  the  door.  As  he  whisked  it  open  the 
sounds  of  retreating  footsteps  echoed  down  the 
hall.  Unmoved,  Canardin  closed  the  door. 

"As  we  were  saying,"  he  resumed  on  taking 
his  seat  at  the  table  again,  "two  days  ago  I 
might  still  have  escaped  this.  There  were  signs 
of  warning  along  the  way— from  the  apparent 
'peasants'  in  the  fields.  Perhaps  you  noticed? 
And  Morbihan's  horseman  came  by,  to  make  sure 
of  me." 

"  I  saw  you  exchange  signals,  Monsieur." 
"  And  you  were  not  afraid?  " 


276       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"  I  was  not  afraid,  Monsieur.  You  gave  me  no 
reason." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  remember  that,"  said  Can- 
ardin. "  That  you  put  faith  in  me."  He  sat 
back  a  little.  "  Strange,"  he  observed  dreamily, 
"  what  trifles  serve  to  give  us  a  stake  in  each 
others'  lives!  A  single  kind  word,  one  pleasant 
impression  received  from  any  one,  and  we  are 
that  person's  friend  for  life ! " 

Julie  was  forgetting  to  eat.  She  sat  open- 
eyed  and  listened — as  C6cile  also  let  her  hand 
fall  idle  by  her  plate,  watching  this  man  with  a 
feverish  interest.  "And  you  knew  of  this  two 
days  ago?  "  her  voice  quivered  as  she  asked. 

"  I  knew  then,"  Canardin  fell  upon  a  last  oys- 
ter, "  of  this  at  the  end." 

"Was  there  nothing  to  do  but  go  on,  Mon- 
sieur? " 

"  Nothing  else." 

"  But  why,  Monsieur?  "  C4cile  might  be  in  a 
fright,  but  the  elemental  woman  in  her  was  bent 
upon  having  some  confession  out  of  him.  "  Why 
had  you  to  go  on?  " 

Canardin  smiled  his  comprehension  of  her 
womanly  ruse.  "  That,"  he  said,  "  would  have 
been  to  disappoint  a  lady.  The  soup  should  be 
here  in  a  moment,"  he  provokingly  warded  her 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       277 

off.  "I  fear" — lie  glanced  at  the  scarcely 
touched  plates  of  both  the  ladies — "  you  are  be- 
ing poorly  entertained." 

"  Why  had  you  to  go  on,  Monsieur?  "  Ce"cile 
persisted.  "  Having  lost  all  faith  in  us." 

For  answer,  Canardin  turned  his  eyes  upon  the 
lowered  and  blood-red  face  of  Julie  Lecoigneux. 

"  Lost  faith  in  you?  Indeed,  Mademoiselle," 
he  turned  to  Cecile,  "  at  first  I  did  suspect  you  of 
being  a  willing  party  to  the  plot.  The  bait  to  the 
trap,  shall  I  say?  It  was  a  cowardly  thought.  I 
crave  your  forgiveness  for  it.  For  soon  enough, 
as  I  watched  you,  I  was  aware  of  my  mistake. 
Your  purpose  was  so  evident! — so  utterly  sin- 
cere because  it  was  so  hopeless.  You  had  set  out 
to  save  me  from  Canardin." 

Again  Canardin  laughed  his  low,  musical 
laugh.  Those  -who  heard  that  disarming  laugh 
were  apt  to  answer  it, — as  CScile  did,  in  spite  of 
herself.  "Well,"  said  Canardin,  "my  curiosity 
was  irresistible.  I  wanted  to  know  what  it  would 
be  like  to  be  saved  from  Canardin.  My  secretary 
objected.  But  I  felt  obliged  to  go  on." 

"And  see  where  my  foolish  purpose  has  car- 
ried you !  "  C4cile  brought  out.  "  After  all  your 
goodness  to  Armand  and  me !  " 

Canardin  now  laughed  heartily  at  that.    "I 


278       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

think,  Mademoiselle  de  Grammont,"  he  said, 
"  you  have  hit  on  the  secret  of  my  power — such 
as  it  is.  It  is  true  that  I  have  had  the  misfor- 
tune to  offend  a  few  persons ;  but  so  many  more 
feel  obliged  to  me,  for  some  foolish  reason."  He 
laid  down  his  soup  spoon,  for  C6cile  had  been 
taken  again  with  symptoms  of  flying  to  the 
window. 

"  Do  you  suppose  I  mean  to  be  the  cause  of 
your  death?  Let  me  give  a  command !  " 

Canardin  laid  an  iron  hand  on  her  arm.  "  One 
of  those  fools  might  shoot.  And  bad  shots  as 
they  are,  you  might  be  hit.  Besides  " — again  the 
low  laughter — "  I  am  fairly  well  able  to  take 
care  of  myself.  Please  be  seated. — So ! — It  is  not 
often  that  a  man  of  my  calling  may  speak,  with  a 
sweet  woman.  With  your  kind  permission  I 
should  like  to  make  the  most  of-  it.  Besides,  I 
owe  you  an  explanation.  As  to  why  your  pretty 
errand  was  doomed  from  the  start.  Why  Can- 
ardin is  apt  to  remain  Canardin.  It  is  because 
of  this  little  reception  at  the  end  of  it.  I  am  not 
so  bitter  as  to  suppose  that  your  friend  the  Due 
de  Morbihan  speaks  for  the  whole  of  France, 
Mademoiselle.  I  think,  only,  that  he  speaks  for 
a  larger  part  of  it  than  you  do.  You  may  want 
to  lead  me  repentant  to  the  gate;  but  I'm  hanged 


279 

if  I  like  the  welcome  Morbihan  has  ready  1 " 
Canardin  laughed  again. 

"  We  can  see  to  Morbihan ! "  CScile  de  Gram- 
mont  said  decisively. 

"  I  had  it  in  mind,"  said  Canardin  drily,  "  to 
suggest  his  reform  to  you." 

Suddenly  Canardin  leaped  to  his  feet,  as  the 
two  startled  women  drew  back  from  him,  and 
paced  the  floor  a  raging  lion.  To  Julie  herself 
this  scorn  was  something  new,  from  the  inveter- 
ate jester,  the  jaunty  juggler  of  risks  and  dan- 
gers. 

"No!"  he  brought  out.  "How,  after  this, 
Mademoiselle,  can  you  ask  me  to  make  friends 
with  that !  "  He  pointed  outside.  "  With  the 
thing  I  have  fought  all  my  life — treachery, 
cruelty,  thin  elegance,  a  cynical  indifference  to 
suffering,  the  fortunate  riding  down  the  good! 
Not  even  in  death  will  I  forgive  it!  Who  have 
been  the  robbers  of  France — the  Canardins? 
Even  in  robbery,  Mademoiselle,  I  have  had  to 
confess  myself  a  hopeless  inferior !  "  Canardin 
laughed  out  the  biting  epigram. 

Instantly  he  recalled  himself,  and  stood  before 
Ce"cile.  "  A  thousand  pardons,  Mademoiselle !  " 
he  said  in  a  lower  key.  "  This  amusing  situation 
is  no  reproach  upon  you.  And  yet,  you  will  ob- 


280       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

serve,  you  have  not  been  able  to  prevent  it.  You 
will  not  be  able  to  stop  it.  '  After  this/  I  have 
said.  After  this,  the  Bastille !  The  rest  is  easily 
imagined.  Well " 

He  drew  himself  up;  his  hands  grasped  the 
fall  of  lace  at  his  breast;  his  head  reared  itself 
haughtily;  and  though  he  smiled  still,  his  eyes 
blazed  brightly.  "  Believe  it  or  not,  it  is  not  my 
life  but  my  work  that  I  hate  to  lay  down.  Even 
your  Canardin  has  his  pride.  They  have  called 
me  a  thief,  an  outlaw,  a  rebel  against  society. 
I  am  something  more  than  that,  Mademoiselle. 
I  am  a  revolt.  All  France  is  seething  with  the 
forces  that  have  made  me.  I  am  strong  as  I  am 
because  I  have  a  thousand  Canardins  behind  me. 
Let  them  send  me  to  the  galleys,  if  they  will, 
hang  me,  break  me  on  the  wheel  to-morrow. 
They  will  raise  ten  thousand  Canardins  to  take 
my  place.  Tell  that  to  Morbihan,  Mademoiselle, 
when  he  thinks  me  disposed  of." 

While  the  two  women  watched  him,  speech- 
less in  their  distress,  yet  spellbound,  Canardin 
stepped  to  the  window  and  spoke  the  rest  as  if 
to  himself.  "We  live  short  lives,  men  of  my 
like.  But  cut  it  short  or  long,  do  we  live  to  no 
purpose,  I  wonder?  Sometimes  I  look  ahead.  I 
see,  then,  merit  honored  regardless  of  birth.  I 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       281 

see  the  very  starved  peasant  in  the  fields  given  a 

voice  in  his  own  government.  I  see No 

matter.  It  still  is  far  off.  Perhaps  we  have 
hastened  it,  nevertheless.  Even  I  may  have  had 
a  part  in  its  beginning.  Or  is  that  only  my  van- 
ity? Pah! " 

He  whisked  about  in  a  new — or  rather  in  the 
old — mood,  and  approached  Cecile.  "What  a 
waste  of  your  pretty  efforts,  Mademoiselle  de 
Grammont !  No  sooner  do  I  receive  your  pardon 
than  I  am  sent  where  pardon  may  come  a  little 

harder.  Your  King However,  if  you  think 

it  worth  while,  I  confess  I  was — I  am — on  the 
point  of  surrender.  But  would  you  mind  if  I 
asked  another  to  receive  it?  " 

For  the  first  time  in  many  minutes  Canardin 
trusted  himself  to  glance  at  Julie.  They  let 
Cecile  absorb  the  whole  of  what  they  exchanged 
in  that  glance,  those  two.  Then  Canardin  boldly 
did  more.  More  than  any  other  he  had  ever  per- 
formed, this  act  called  for  his  courage;  but  he 
went  to  Julie  and  knelt  before  her,  and  raised 
her  hand  and  was  about  to  kiss  it,  when 
"  Hark !  "  he  said,  and  stood  to  his  feet.  "  Did 
you  hear  it?  " 

Ce"cile,  startled  and  aroused  at  last,  had  half 
risen  from  her  chair.  Julie  was  wholly  out  of 


282       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

her  own,  when  Canardin  motioned  them  both  to 
be  still. 

From  somewhere  far  away  had  come  the  crack 
of  a  shot. 

"  Are — are  they  beginning,  Monsieur?  "  Ce"cile 
whispered. 

"  Listen,  if  you  please ! "  Canardin  com- 
manded. 

More  clearly  than  the  other,  a  second  shot 
rang  out.  Almost  with  the  sound  of  it  came  a 
cry  from  Julie,  who  frankly  flung  herself  upon 
him.  But  her  anguish  dashed  itself  against  a 
man  abruptly  changed,  who  now  candidly 
enough  kissed  her  hands,  escorted  her  back  to 
her  place  at  the  table,  beckoned  the  astounded 
C6cile  likewise  to  her  seat,  and  settled  back  in 
his  own  with  a  contented  sigh. 

"  As  I  have  remarked  more  than  once  before, 
Mesdemoiselles,  I  am  a  humbug.  Let  me  remind 
you  of  our  dinner.  I  have,  possibly,  overdone 
the  fond  adieux.  The  two  shots — they  are  a  lit- 
tle signal  to  me.  Somewhat  delayed.  I  began 

to  think  it  was  never  to  be  heard.  You  see " 

Canardin  leaned  more  comfortably  back  in  his 
chair.  "We  are  not  so  badly  off,  after  all. 
It  is  true  your  friend  Monsieur  le  Due  has 
his  guard  about  us.  Farther  out,  however, 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       283 

my  own  men  have  been  assembling.  I  rather 
thought  I  could  trust  them  to  be  in  time.  They 
have  had  to  hurry.  But  they  never  yet  have 
failed  me.  All  the  same,  good  ladies,  I  have 
sometimes  to  apologize  for  those  fellows  of  mine. 
They  are  honest  enough,  but  at  times  they  are 
inclined  to  be  hasty.  If  you  should  care  to  re- 
tire   " 

Before  the  spell  of  this  man,  Ce"cile  de  Gram- 
mont  had  forgotten  everything  and  was  laughing 
outright.  She  had  long  ago  gone  over  to  Can- 
ardin.  Julie,  with  more  than  a  principle  at 
stake,  was  a  little  less  at  ease.  As  Canardin 
signaled  with  a  motion,  they  listened  for  a  min- 
ute. Not  a  sound  was  to  be  heard  outside,  but 
so  clearly  was  it  the  quietude  of  suspense  that 
Julie  bit  her  lip,  watched  Canardin  narrowly, 
and  laid  hold  of  the  table  to  steady  herself.  A 
little  more,  and  he  would  be  gone,  to  take  com- 
mand and  be  in  the  thick  of  things.  Already  she 
herself  was  calculating  the  distance  to  the  door. 

"  So  you  see,  Mademoiselle  de  Grammont," 
said  Canardin  coolly,  "there  may  be  a  capture  to- 
night, and  a  little  accomplishment  for  you,  in  the 
way  of  reform.  I  am  sorry  to  inconvenience  your 
friend.  All  the  same  I  feel  entitled  to  a 
word  with  him.  Are  you  annoyed,"  he  stopped 


284       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

himself  quickly,  "by  what  hangs  over?"  For 
Cecile  had  taken  to  studying  him  thoughtfully. 

"  I  am  becoming  a  party  to  something  serious, 
Monsieur,"  she  said. 

"  I  believe  I  offered  the  opportunity  of  a  re- 
tirement," said  Canardin. 

"  And  I  declined  it."  The  haughty  girl  lifted 
her  head.  "  All  the  same,  Monsieur,  you  are  tak- 
ing long  strides.  Do  you  see  where  they  lead?  " 

"  That  is  their  own  affair." 

"  It  is  my  affair,  Monsieur.  I  believe " — 
Ce"cile  narrowed  her  eyes  to  a  shrewdness,  with  a 
smile  beginning  on  her  lips — "  you  spoke  of  ca- 
pitulation— even  if  not  to  me?  " 

Canardin  fell  back  from  the  first  genuine  de- 
feat he  had  ever  suffered.  A  broad  smile  gath- 
ered on  his  face,  too,  as  he  saw  himself  trapped 
in  a  new  way.  "  That  is  true,"  he  admitted. 

"  He  passed  his  word ! "  cried  Julie  Lecoig- 
neux,  before  whom  all  things  were  clearing,  ris- 
ing excitedly. 

"  Otherwise  " — even  Ce*cile  rose  and  was  stand- 
ing over  him — "  you  are  bringing  on  a  small  war. 
And  things  will  be  beyond  all  hope  of  correction 
then!  Very  well,  Monsieur !  Your  hand?  " 

Slowly  Canardin  was  bringing  himself  to  it. 
But  a  shout  had  risen  from  one  of  the  narrow 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       285 

streets  of  the  village.  Sounds  of  scuffling  be- 
came general.  Cries  arose.  Another  shot  rang 
out,  nearer  at  hand,  then  another,  and  then 
scores  and  seeming  hundreds. 

Canardin  leaped  to  his  feet.  "Mademoiselle, 
can  you  forgive ?  "  he  started  to  say,  listen- 
ing to  the  clatter  meanwhile. 

"  Stop  it !  "  C6cile  was  crying.  "  You  prom- 
ised!" 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  character  of  the 
"  difference  "  in  the  village  round.  Hoarse  cries, 
sharp  orders  were  heard.  The  shots  had  become 
a  fusillade.  So  were  the  curses  and  roars  of  rage. 
The  streets  rang  with  the  tumult. 

"  Get  into  the  corners ! "  Canardin  com- 
manded the  women.  "  My  men  know  the  room. 
But  fool  bullets  may  stray  here." 

On  his  way  to  a  window  he  seized  a  sheaf  of  the 
roses  he  had  ordered  for  the  table,  and  waved  it 
aloft  in  the  candlelight, — the  signal  arranged  on 
in  case  his  men  were  to  retreat  to  a  rendezvous 
elsewhere.  The  turmoil  only  deepened  in  volume. 
In  the  hostelry  itself  hysteria  was  rife.  Men 
shouted,  women  shrieked,  there  was  scurrying  of 
feet,  overturning  of  chairs,  the  slamming  of 
doors.  Some  one  raised  the  cry  of  "  Canardin ! 
It  is  Canardin !  Fly  for  your  lives !  "  Then  sud- 


286       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

denly  all  in  the  house  itself  was  still.  The  place 
had  emptied  itself. 

At  the  window  he  had  flung  open,  though  it 
was  now  too  late,  Canardin  did  and  said  what  he 
could.  "  Leave  off,  my  braves !  "  he  shouted,  but 
no  one  heard.  "  Stop,  you !  It's  a  mistake ! 
And  a  pity!  You  were  making  the  sweetest 
music  I  ever  heard!  But  hold!  The  flat  of 
your  blades,  then!  Only  lay  blows  across 
the  broad  of  their  breeches!  By  heavens,  the 
Due's  beggars  are  actually  fighting !  "  Canardin 
forgot  himself  far  enough  to  laugh.  "  Go  easy, 
men !  They're  running !  " 

As  was  true,  for  Morbihan's  retainers,  out- 
numbered, were  not  long  in  losing  all  stomach  for 
the  mele"e.  Every  little  while,  some  one  of  them, 
with  his  fill  of  it,  ran  away,  rubbing  a  head  or 
nursing  a  streaming  nose.  "  You,  there,  Bri- 
deau !  "  Canardin  kept  shouting.  "  The  butt 
of  your  muskets  will  do.  The  babies  are  bawling 
as  it  is.  That  one,  there!  Put  a  torch  to  his 
coat-tail ! "  He  was  succeeding  in  turning  the 
thing,  so  he  thought,  into  a  farce.  And  those 
below  willingly  helped  him.  A  roar  of  laughter 
rose  as  the  din  of  curses  suddenly  died.  A  tu- 
mult of  jeers  broke  out  instead,  as  a  screaming 
minion  of  the  Due  de  Morbihan  tore  away  to  the 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       287 

river  with  the  tail  of  his  coat  a  flaming  thing  in 
pursuit  of  him.  "  That's  the  way,  my  hearties !  " 
Canardin  encouraged.  "  Give  them  your  warm- 
est blessing,  and  let  'em  go ! "  And  a  whirl  of 
laughter  swept  down  the  street  in  front  of  the 
inn,  as  the  jeering  pursuit  set  after  the  routed 
troops.  The  action  had  been  brief  and  promised 
to  be  over  in  a  minute  more,  when  a  piteous  cry 
arose  in  the  hall  outside  the  room  they  were  in. 

"  Canardin !  Canardin !  "  a  small  and  an- 
guished voice  intoned.  "  What  have  you  done 
with  Cecile?  " 

"  Armand !  "  that  lady  called  back  hastily,  per- 
haps to  cut  him  off  from  making  himself  a  fool. 
"  He  has  not  even  kissed  my  hand." 

"  Ah,  Mademoiselle,"  said  the  breathless  Can- 
ardin, "  pardon  the  oversight !  As  for  you,  La- 
vallais,  do  you  hear?  "  he  sent  through  the  door. 
"  Drop  your  pistols.  I  will  do  the  same.  It  is 
on  the  honor  of  each  of  us."  He  laid  his  own  on 
the  table  and  swung  open  the  door.  In  rushed 
De  Lavaillais,  staring  madly  about,  a  bruise 
across  his  eye,  a  slit  in  his  small-clothes. 

"  My  poor  fellow !  "  Canardin  welcomed  him. 
"I  wondered!  But  this  settles  it!  You  alone 
made  that  battle !  " 

"  There  will  be  others  to  follow,  my  friend !  " 


288       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

the  angry  man  snapped  back.  "  This  is  one  step 
too  far!  Come,  C6cile!  While  there  is  time! 
They  have  taken  Morbihan!  The  impudent 
wretches  are  bringing  him  here  to  their  chief !  " 

Canardin  started,  then  laughed.  "  I  could 
not  forego  it,  Mademoiselle ! "  he  turned  to  C6- 
cile,  noticing  as  he  did  so,  with  something  of  a 
shock,  that  Julie  was  gone.  "  Do  you  mind?  " 

"  Morbihan  will  have  something  to  say  to 
this !  "  De  Lavallais  threatened. 

"  Oh,  Monsieur !  "  Ce"cile  tried  to  face  it  out 
for  him,  "  if  only  you  have  not  carried  your  jest 
too  far ! " 

"  Jest?  "  stormed  De  Lavallais.  "  Flouting  the 
army  of  France  a  jest?  Come,  Ce"cile,  this  is  no 
place  for  us !  "  He  took  her  arm. 

And  she  took  it  away  from  him,  with  decision. 
"  Monsieur  de  Lavallais !  "  she  cried.  "  Where 
is  your  bargain?  Where  is  your  protection  to 
this  rendezvous?  What  value  do  you  set  on  your 
word?  When  I  have  Monsieur  Canardin's 
promise,  I  find  yours  worthless!  Fly,  if  you 
like!" 

It  seemed  to  Canardin  time  for  him  to  set  up 
a  diversion  on  his  part.  "  Ah,"  he  suddenly  be- 
thought himself,  "I  must  pay  off  the  come- 
dians !  "  And  returning  to  the  window,  he  drew 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       289 

out  a  purse  and  began  to  scatter  its  contents  to 
the  expectant  and  now  cheering  concourse  below. 

While  he  was  so  engaged,  the  tread  of  another 
party  sounded  through  the  halls  of  the  inn. 

"  That's  they !  "  said  De  Lavallais.  "  They're 
escorting  him !  A  pretty  price  we  shall  have  to 
pay  to  Horbihan  for  this !  " 

"  Leave  that  man  to  me,"  said  C6cile,  white 
with  indignation,  as  Lavallais  drew  up  in  an  at- 
titude of  deferential  expectancy,  prepared  for 
Morbihan's  wrath. 

"  You  will  be  good  enough  to  leave  him  to  me, 
if  you  please,  Mademoiselle,"  said  Canardin. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

T  TATLESS  and  coatless  himself,  and  plenti- 
•*•  -*•  fully  marked  with  the  signs  of  a  tussle,  the 
Due  de  Morbihan  stepped  through  the  door  and 
came  to  a  halt.  Almost  nothing  remained  to  him 
unsullied  except  his  dignity,  and  even  that  was 
ruffled.  His  eyes  blazed,  his  ebon  mustachios 
bristled,  his  chin  was  projected  defiantly,  he  was 
pale  and  quivering  with  rage,  and  the  scars  on 
his  cheek  from  a  former  encounter  reddened  into 
a  sinister  grin.  With  a  single  lofty  glance  he 
swept  the  room.  For  the  faithful  obeisance  of 
De  Lavallais  he  had  but  a  nod.  For  Canardin  a 
stare  of  all  the  concentrated  rage  and  hatred  in 
his  being. 

"  Fellow,"  he  choked,  "  you  may  amuse  your- 
self now.  But  no  one  mistreats  like  this  a  peer 
of  France  and  gets  off!  You  will  pay  for  this 
with  your  very  bones !  " 

"  Tush,  Morbihan ! "  Canardin  blurted,  in  a 
healthy  scorn  of  his  own.  "Always  the  Due! 
Does  the  man  in  you  never  come  forward?  " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       291 

However,  as  Canardin  surveyed  the  figure  be- 
fore him,  something  of  his  perverse  prankishness 
returned  to  him. 

"You  have  something  of  a  grievance,  Morbi- 
han !  I  grant  it !  Your  wig  is  askew.  Your  face 
is  grimed.  There's  a  slit  in  your  cheek  and  an- 
other in  your  breeches.  I  can't  answer  for  a  Due, 
but  a  man  will  have  satisfaction  for  that.  Come, 
what  do  you  say !  Mademoiselle  will  retire ;  and 
let  us  settle  our  differences  here,  once  and  for 
all.  This  is  your  moment,  and  whichever  way  it 
goes,  France  will  be  able  to  yawn  again.  Un- 
hand the  gentleman,"  he  commanded  of  the  men 
who  had  followed  the  Due. 

Euefully  they  did  so,  a  good  deal  puzzled  at 
the  whim  of  their  chief. 

"  Two  of  you  be  off  for  the  rapiers  in  my 
chest,"  was  Canardin's  next  instruction.  "His 
excellency  and  myself  require  a  quarter  hour  of 
wholesome  amusement.  Morbihan,"  Canardin 
addressed  him  directly,  "  you  are  full  of  spleen. 
It  is  time  a  little  of  it  was  let  out  of  you.  I  don't 
mind  the  favor.  Besides,  I  shall  need  a  little  oc- 
cupation for  my  mind  while  talking  to  you. 
Mademoiselle,"  he  turned  to  where  De  Lavallais 
and  Ce"cile  stood  open-mouthed  at  these  proceed- 
ings, "  you  will  please  retire?  " 


292       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Mademoiselle  Ce"cile  had  no  such,  intentions. 

"  Surely  you  must  see,  Mademoiselle,  this  mo- 
ment belongs  to  the  Due  and  myself ! " 

Ce"cile  had  gone  deathly  pale,  but  she  stood  her 
ground. 

"  The  presence  of  a  lady  will  impose  a  cruel 
restraint  on  a  Due ! "  Canardin  pleaded. 
"  Whereas  the  argument  should  be  full  and  free 
between  us ! " 

Cecile  shook  her  head. 

"  The  discussion  may  run  high !  We  are  apt 
to  forget  ourselves !  It  is  long  postponed !  " 

If  for  no  reason  other  than  to  withhold  Can- 
ardin from  any  step  more  rash  or  fatal  than  any 
he  had  yet  taken,  she  meant  to  remain,  come 
what  might,  to  restrain  him.  Or  stop  it  if  it  ran 
to  his  danger. 

"  So  be  it,"  Canardin  shrugged,  and  forbore  to 
say  what  he  thought, — "when  he  isn't  drunk, 
he's  otherwise  protected!  After  all  these  years 
I  must  let  Mm  off."  Aloud  he  ordered  his 
•  men,  "Remove  the  table  and  chairs,"  and  they 
did  so. 

"  Morbihan,"  said  Canardin,  "  you  observe  the 
fresh  sand  on  the  floor — as  if  on  purpose?  " 

The  Due  stared  at  him  savagely. 

"  The  lights  meet  with  your  approval?  " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       293 

The  Due  maintained  his  stare. 

Canardin's  two  followers  having  returned  with 
a  sheaf  of  swords,  he  laid  them  over  his  arm  and 
offered  the  Due  his  choice.  "  Such  weapons  are 
not  made  for  the  fashionable  mart,  you'll  find," 
he  recommended  them.  "  The  first  is  as  good  as 
the  last." 

"  This  will  do  for  a  cur !  "  The  Due  snatched 
one  at  random. 

Canardin  tossed  the  lot  to  his  man  while  he 
divested  himself  of  coat  and  waistcoat  and  rolled 
up  the  sleeves  of  his  shirt.  He  then  coolly  picked 
among  the  lot  of  hilts  offered  him,  not  without 
answering  the  wink  of  his  confident  retainer. 

"  I  suppose,"  said  Canardin  languidly,  bending 
his  choice  of  blades  between  his  hands,  "this 
poor  thing  will  have  to  be  good  enough  for  a  Due. 
Begone,"  he  said  to  his  men,  and  they  dragged 
themselves  away  as  slowly  as  they  dared. 

With  all  his  rage  in  his  eye,  the  Due  snapped 
his  figure  into  position,  and  eagerness  mingled 
with  his  anger.  Known  far  and  wide  as  the  best 
swordsman  in  France,  he  might  laugh  at  fear. 
And  here  was  his  chance  to  finish  off  at  last  this 
pestiferous  marauder  after  all  these  years  of 
the  chase.  With  a  play  worthy  of  his  best  reputa- 
tion he  opened  his  attack. 


294       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Canardin  parried,  parried,  everlastingly  par- 
ried,— with  his  lips  as  much  as  his  steel. 

"  Beally,  Morbihan,  this  is  decent  of  you ! " 
So  he  kept  up  a  running  fire  of  remark,  in  time 
to  the  sweeps  of  his  blade.  "  To  give  me  this  op- 
portunity of  a  chat.  For  seven  years  I  have 
trailed  you  across  France.  By  the  lord  Jupiter, 
how  you  can  travel !  Only  now  have  I  caught  up 
with  you."  Here  a  lunge  of  the  Due's  warded 
away  with  especial  delicacy.  "  Yet  I  knew  you 
would  some  day  allow  me  to  even  up  that  beating 
you  gave  me  at  Clermont.  You  remember  it, 
Morbihan?  " 

The  two  men  were  footing  it  about  like  mad. 
"Are  you  a  dancing  master?"  The  Due  blew 
the  words  between  his  grinding  teeth.  "  Be  done 
with  your  tricks,  clown !  Have  at  me !  " 

His  words  had  scarcely  been  spoken  when  the 
answer  came.  The  answer  was  from  Canardin's 
sword,  not  his  lips.  Quicker  than  the  Due's  eye 
could  drink  it  in,  it  was  done.  He  felt  his  sword 
lifted  up  like  a  feather,  the  blade  pointing  sky- 
ward, the  hilt  across  his  heart,  and  locked  there 
by  a  wrist  of  steel  where  his  own  seemed  of  lead. 

Thus  Canardin  held  him  for  a  second  or  two, 
the  flat  of  his  own  rapier  curved  rigidly  against 
his  enemy's  breast,  while  he  said : 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       295 

"  My  word,  Morbihan,  I  hate  to  break  in  on 
your  devotions!  That  is  probably  a  prayer  for 
me."  Releasing  the  Due  from  this  humiliating 
predicament,  he  was  back  on  his  guard  in  a  flash. 
"  In  a  moment  I  may  show  you  another  novelty 
I've  learned." 

Now  blindly  infuriated,  the  Due  lashed  out  in 
good  earnest.  His  sword  sang  as  it  cut  the  air, 
— and  cut  nothing  more. 

"  I've  long  been  curious,  Morbihan,  to  see  your 
skill,"  Canardin  set  up  his  taunting  patter  again. 
"  I  had  heard  of  it.  And  good  it  is,  Morbihan. 
But  wanting  in  finesse.  Your  friends  have 
spoiled  it.  They  too  easily  give  in  to  a  Due.  My 
own  skill  has  been  gained  against  men." 

It  was  plain  to  the  nobleman  that  for  all  his 
really  considerable  art,  this  man  before  him  was 
toying  with  his  best  efforts.  Though  the  Breton 
dignitary  fought  now  like  a  fiend,  Can- 
ardin brushed  aside  his  every  lunge  with  the 
strength  of  a  smith  and  the  ease  of  an  orator's 
gesture. 

" Pie,  fie,  Morbihan! "  he  burst  out  at  a  later 
stage,  "  are  you  really  no  better  than  this?  And 
your  wind,  Morbihan !  Perhaps  singing  is  more 
in  your  line?  Truly,  I'm  quite  disarmed.  By 
your  condition  if  not  by  your  art."  And  in  the 


296       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

thick  of  it  all,  Canardin  achieved  a  magnificent 
yawn. 

Speechless  with  fury,  the  Due  replied  to  it 
with  a  roar  and  a  fresh  access  of  energy.  "  Fight, 
knave,  fight !  "  he  found  words  at  last. 

"  You  really  care  to  go  on?  "  Canardin  an- 
swered him  sweetly.  "  Don't  put  yourself  out 
on  my  account." 

Now  and  then  he  flicked  a  fresh  slit  in  Mor- 
bihan's  sleeve,  in  proof  of  a  dexterity  able  to 
finish  the  contest  when  it  pleased.  It  served  but 
to  heighten  his  adversary's  madness. 

"  Leave  off  the  play-acting !  "  he  roared.  "  My 
taste  runs  to  fighting !  " 

Again  Canardin's  sword  spoke  for  him.  It 
picked  a  neat  gash  across  the  whole  front  of 
Morbihan's — shirt.  Thus  far  it  was  the  first 
serious  stroke  he  had  undertaken.  C4cile  could 
not  repress  a  light  cry,  so  easily  might  Canardin's 
blade  have  cut  deeper.  The  real  skill  of  it  was 
that  it  did  not. 

Morbihan  let  go  an  especially  vicious  lunge, 
with  all  his  might  behind  it.  "  My  life  or  yours, 
thief !  "  he  cried.  "  I  give  no  favors  and  I  ask 
none  back  in  this  business !  " 

"  Very  well,  Due.  Whatever  we  mince,  it  will 
not  be  words !  " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       297 

Perhaps  Canardin  had  had  his  fill  of  taunting, 
or  had  pushed  it  too  far.  Or,  mayhap,  he  felt 
that  the  old  difference  at  Clermont  had  been 
evened.  It  may  be  that  the  joy  of  contest  got 
into  his  veins.  The  artist  in  him  may  have  risen 
and  called  for  the  exercise  of  his  powers.  On 
the  score  of  manhood  alone  he  owed  something 
of  seriousness  to  his  adversary. 

Whatever  it  was,  he  left  off  the  raillery  and 
became  as  deadly  as  he  dared.  With  stroke  after 
stroke  he  nicked  the  enemy's  body  and  pricked 
the  enemy's  pride.  When  that  too  could  not  be 
pressed  farther  in  fairness,  he  slowed  up  and  once 
more  broke  into  speech. 

"  Be  reasonable,  Morbihan.  You  came  here 
weary.  I  can't  take  advantage  of  that.  Some 
day,  when  you're  fresh,  I'll  crave  the  favor  of 
another  go.  Now  for  a  fitting  period  to  this. 
Let  us  see  if  we  can  find  it,"  he  added  under  his 
breath. 

And  to  the  gasps  of  De  Lavallais  and  Ce"cile 
the  combat  did  come  to  a  close  in  the  next  few 
seconds.  In  the  most  brilliant  and  daring  of  all 
feats  of  the  sword,  one  of  the  combatants  delib- 
erately caught  a  thrust  from  the  other, — caught 
it  with  his  sword.  With  incredible  swiftness  of 
eye  and  deftness  of  timing,  he  let  the  other's  steel 


298       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

slide  almost  hilt  deep  through,  the  fretted  hilt  of 
his  own  blade.  Then  an  iron  wrist  flew  up,  the 
snap  of  steel  was  heard,  and  a  broken  blade  lay 
upon  the  floor.  The  iron  wrist  belonged  to  Can- 
ardin,  the  broken  blade  to  the  Due. 

For  an  instant  the  Due  held  up  the  stump  of 
his  sword,  trying  to  realize  what  had  happened. 
From  the  stump  of  steel  he  looked  into  the  mock- 
ing smile  of  Canardin.  It  was  too  much.  With 
a  roar  like  one  of  his  Breton  bulls,  the  poor  man, 
as  broken  as  his  weapon,  raised  the  stump  in  his 
hand  and  made  a  rush  for  Canardin. 

Again  Ce"cile  let  forth  a  cry,  that  tapered  off 
into  an  exclamation  of  surprise  and  wonder. 
This  time  there  was  the  snap  of  a  bone,  and  the 
Due  de  Morbihan  lay  sprawling  on  the  floor  with 
a  broken  wrist. 

"  Morbihan !  "  Canardin  spoke  down  to  him, 
now  panting  himself,  for  he  was  enraged  at  last. 
"  I  would  say  the  nobleman  forgot  himself !  " 

Slowly  the  fallen  and  bitterly  humbled  man  on 
the  floor  gathered  himself  into  a  sitting  posture 
and  glared  up. 

"You  will  observe,  Morbihan,"  Canardin 
quickly  cooled  to  his  inveterate  good  nature 
again,  "  I  carefully  spared  the  right  one.  One 
of  these  days,  if  you  live  carefully,  you  will  want 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       299 

to  shake  hands  with  ine.  I  won't  have  it  at  pres- 
ent." 

The  Due  ignored  this  thrust  and  feelingly  fin- 
gered his  injury.  It  was  too  hard  for  his  like- 
impossible — to  acknowledge  the  situation. 

"  Ho,  men !  "  Canardin  was  calling  to  his  men. 
"A  chair  for  this  excellent  man!  And  a  soft 
one ! " 

The  chair  was  brought  by  two  men  plainly 
astonished  and  not  a  little  disgusted  to  find  both 
fighters  alive.  The  further  attentions  of  Can- 
ardin the  Due  none  too  courteously  declined,  but 
he  suffered  De  Lavallais  to  steady  him  into  the 
seat. 

Canardin,  one  hand  employing  his  rapier  as  a 
cane,  the  other  now  twirling  his  moustache,  stood 
watching  them,  humming  a  little  tune  to  his 
thoughts. 

While  they  looked  to  see  what  he  would  do 
next,  the  old  baffling  smile  returned,  and  he 
stepped  toward  Cecile, — fumbling  in  his  pockets 
mysteriously.  When  he  drew  forth  his  hand  it 
contained  the  familiar  ring  of  green  jade,  which 
he  offered  her  with  an  embarrassed  bow.  De 
Lavallais  started  at  sight  of  it,  but  with  an 
"  Oh !  "  of  gathering  comprehension,  C6cile  took 
it 


300       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

"Mademoiselle,"  said  Canardin,  "I  felt  it 
proper  to  relieve  you  of  that — during  our  journey 
— before  I  quite  understood.  It  may  have  little 
value  longer — since  your  demand  for  my  sur- 
render. Yet  perhaps,  as  a  souvenir " 

"  It  shall  be  priceless !  " 

"  It  cannot  be  that,  Mademoiselle,"  he  an- 
swered humbly,  "  until  I  have  told  you  that  I 
am  ashamed  of  my  vanity  here.  Perhaps,  if  you 
knew  of  what  is  epitomized  in  this  moment,  you 
might  find  it  in  your  heart  to  forgive  me.  The 
truth  is,  I  begin  to  be  bored  by  this  sorry  busi- 
ness of  mine.  You  have  made  me  feel  like  a 
mountebank.  Before  I  am  guilty  of  further  fol- 
lies " — he  held  out  the  hilt  of  his  rapier  toward 
her,  as  Cecile  flashed  such  a  smile  at  De  Laval- 
lais  as  husbands  come  to  know — "will  you  not 
deprive  me  of  this ! " 

In  short,  the  tableau  would  have  come  to  a 
pretty  conclusion  but  for  a  slight  diversion. 

"Where  is  he?"  a  great  voice  boomed,  and 
three  startled  persons  turned  toward  a  sudden 
apparition  at  the  door.  The  resplendent  figure 
of  Trevours  and  twenty  of  his  soldiers  stood  be- 
fore them. 

The  astounded  Lavallais  was  the  logical  person 
first  to  find  words.  "He?  Why,  there " 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       301 

He  looked  about,  finally  toward  the  open  window 
whence,  a  little  while  before,  Canardin  had 
tossed  out  the  purse  of  coins. 

Neatly  and  sweetly  he  had  let  himself  down 
the  adjacent  waterspout  into  the  night. 


CHAPTEB  XIX 

ASHAKP  feminine  cry,  between  a  pair  of 
angry  masculine  exclamations,  burst  from 
the  window  above  as  Canardin  touched  the 
ground  below.  He  looked  up  in  time  to  see  Ce"cile 
de  Grammont  perform  a  useful  service  for  him. 
By  reaching  the  window  first,  she  completely 
filled  it  in  looking  out. 

"  He's  gone ! "  she  pronounced,  with  what 
seemed  like  satisfaction  to  Canardin.  She  then 
performed  another  service  for  him.  By  turning 
sharply  away  from  the  window  she  bumped  into 
the  crowding  figures  of  Lavallais  and  Trevours. 
A  hasty  pardon,  and  both  their  heads  were  look- 
ing out. 

They  looked  in  time  to  see  Canardin's  white 
shirt  flying  into  the  bushes  that  marked  the 
boundary  line  of  the  inn  property.  While  Can- 
ardin, in  a  dark  undergarment,  hugging  the  wall, 
backed  and  sidled  round  a  corner  and — bumped 
into  a  waiting  man,  whose  arms  instantly  en- 
circled him. 

"  Hush,  Monsieur !  "  quick  lips  whispered,  be- 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       303 

fore  Canardin  had  time  to  choke  them.  "  Not  a 
sound ;  not  a  whisper !  Come  with  me.  Give  me 
your  hand." 

"Julie!" 

"Ibegjoul    Hush!" 

In  the  inky  blackness  a  slim  hand  felt  for  his 
arm,  slid  along  his  sleeve  till  it  caught  the  tips  of 
his  fingers.  It  drew  him,  and  he  followed,  like  a 
blind  man.  Over  the  soft  turf  of  the  inn  yard, 
in  the  rear  of  the  structure,  he  let  himself  be  led 
in  the  utter  dark  and  the  stillness  that  the  watch- 
ers themselves  maintained  in  order  to  hear  him. 
To  shadows  deeper  still,  if  that  were  possible, 
they  slipped  over  the  sod,  step  by  step,  scarcely 
daring  to  breathe.  Bound  an  ell  of  the  inn  the 
guide  came  to  a  halt,  and  Canardin  obediently 
did  likewise.  How  long  they  stood  so  Canardin 
was  too  absorbed  to  guess.  Long  enough,  at  all 
events,  for  him  to  lift  a  tiny  hand  and  imprint 
upon  it  a  noiseless  kiss.  A  pressure  returned 
the  greeting. 

At  last  two  lips  reached  up  to  his  ear.  "  Hun- 
dreds of  them ! "  came  not  so  much  a  whisper  as 
a  breathing.  "  A  cordon  round  the  house !  Not 
thirty  paces  away !  Trevours's  men.  He's  been 
given  this  last  chance  to  redeem  himself.  And  is 
savage  as  a  wild  boar.  Wait ! " 


304       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

Another  period  of  absolute  stillness,  another 
kiss  of  the  hand,  another  returning  pressure. 
The  silence  itself  told  its  story.  The  watchers 
were  waiting  for  him  to  move.  Already  Canardin 
knew  they  must  have  found  his  empty  shirt. 
Within  the  inn,  he  knew,  Trevours,  after  not  too 
much  bragging  and  bluster,  would  be  bustling 
instead. 

At  length,  with  her  free  hand  feeling  along  the 
wall,  Julie  led  on  a  dozen  paces,  and  there  groped 
about  for  something.  Next  Canardin  felt  him- 
self pulled  down  a  short  flight  of  stairs,  step  by 
step.  A  latch  was  opened  softly.  The  door  it- 
self he  could  but  imagine  being  opened  for  him, 
and  closed  behind  him. 

"  Ah ! "  came  a  whisper  now,  not  merely  a 
breathing.  From  the  odor  of  the  place,  because 
there  was  nothing  to  see,  Canardin  knew  they 
were  in  a  cellar  passage.  "  Wait  till  I  get  some 
breath !  "  he  heard  her  whisper.  Perhaps  a  third 
kiss  of  her  hand  helped  somewhat  to  that  end,  for 
Canardin's  guide  now  led  along  this  passage 
toward  the  interior  of  the  house.  Soon  he  heard 
the  click  of  another  latch.  A  door  opened  softly, 
and  through  it  issued  the  dim  glow  of  a  bed  of 
dying  coals  on  a  grill.  In  the  light  of  them,  the 
lady  dropped  Canardin's  hand,  but  hers  was  soon 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       305 

imprisoned  again,  for  now  Canardin  caught  it. 
She  closed  the  door  as  he  entered  the  room  and 
took  the  swift  habitual  inventory  of  his  surround- 
ings,— noting  the  four  windows  tightly  barred  by 
shutters,  the  shining  cutlery  and  utensils,  the 
legs  of  mutton  depending  from  the  beams,  and 
all  the  appurtenances  of  a  tavern  scullery.  This 
precaution  of  a  moment  finished,  Canardin  very 
naturally  turned  to  his  guide  and  savior. 

Already  she  had  hopped  upon  the  table  and 
was  smiling  triumphantly  down  upon  him.  Per- 
haps she  was  aware,  even  at  such  a  time,  of  the 
picture  she  made,  with  her  head  cocked  at  a 
saucy  angle,  as  Canardin  promptly  took  inven- 
tory of  that  scene  also. 

"  Oh,  thank  heaven !  "  she  closed  her  eyes  and 
breathed,  "  I  could  help  this  much !  " 

When  she  opened  them  Canardin  saw  they 
were  wet.  The  next  moment  they  flashed  more 
fire  than  the  flickering  coals  on  the  hearth. 
"  We've  only  a  minute  to  rest.  What  next,  you 
must  decide.  They'll  search  every  hole  and  cor- 
ner. In  the  end  they  must  find  us  here.  If  we 
stay.  The  beastly  cowards !  Who  gave  Trevours 

the  sense  to  get  here,  with  all  his  men ! 

Ce"cile  knew  what  she  was  saying.  They  mean 
to  make  war  on  you  now,  Canardin.  That  weak- 


ling,  Armand!  He  should  have  foreseen  this! 
No,  /  should  have  foreseen  it !  " 

"  Tut,  child.  This  was  bound  to  come  sooner 
or  later." 

"No,  they  would  never  have  caught  up  with 
you  but  for  this — but  for  me !  If  only  we  could 
hide  until  Ce"cile  has  time  to  intercede !  She  has 
power  in  Paris.  And  with  your  promise,  you 
know,  maybe " 

"  That  does  nicely  enough  for  me."  Canardin 
laughed  his  low  laugh.  "  But  do  you  suppose, 
my  dear,  I  can  let  those  poor  fellows  of  mine  be 
caught  and  hanged,  one  by  one?  Some  of  them 
to-night.  Without  even  a  trial!  They'll  be 
hunted  like  dogs !  " 

"  But  in  a  week  Ce"cile  can  have  you  pardoned ! 
And  then  you  can  get  them  all  off,  too !  " 

"A  week?  Months!  If  ever!  And  if  even 
one  of  those  poor  fellows  is  caught,  I  am  respon- 
sible." 

"  What  is  there  you  can  do?  " 

"  Join  them,  of  course.  Save  them.  Disperse 
them  for  their  own  good.  A  last  word  with  you, 
Julie.  I've  wanted  that.  It's  why  I  am  here, 
when  my  place  is  out  there.  My  duty  as  a  man 
is  out  there !  " 

"Listen!" 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       307 

On  the  floor  over  their  heads  they  heard  the 
stealthy  tramp  of  feet.  The  search  through  the 
inn  had  begun.  Outside  hundreds  were  prob- 
ably beating  every  rod  of  ground. 

"  Where  can  we  go?  "  Julie  writhed,  rather 
than  turned  about  in  her  place,  searching  the 
half-lit  room  for  a  cupboard,  for  a  haven  of  any 
sort,  that  was  not  there.  "Hide  you  I  must! 
In  a  few  minutes  more  they  will  be  down  here. 
They're  sure  to  find  the  way !  " 

"  In  a  few  minutes  more  you  shall  go  up  and 
save  them  the  trouble.  This  has  gone  too  far." 

"  And  you  shall " 

"  Step  out." 

"  Very  well,  Monsieur  Canardin ! "  Julie 
snapped  out  the  words.  "  But  listen  to  this. 
Where  you  go,  I  go  with  you  now ! " 

Canardin  laughed  for  joy  of  her.  But  not 
long  did  he  laugh.  The  heavy  black  cloak  about 
her  had  fallen  apart  from  the  throat,  and  dis- 
closed her  in  the  costume  of  a  boy,  with  velvet 
jerkin  and  breeches,  and  boots  to  the  knees.  Un- 
conscious of  this,  or  else  utterly  confident  before 
this  man,  her  head  was  tossed  back,  her  face 
blazing  with  what  her  lips  themselves  seemed 
ready  to  hurl  into  his  apparent  stupidity.  It 
was  no  time  to  talk.  But  he  happened  not  to  be 


308       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

stupid,  and  read  what  was  there.  It  was  not 
simply  a  foolishly  determined  girl  before  him, 
but  a  woman  with  that  claim  upon  him  which  it 
is  not  in  any  man,  whatever  his  extremity,  to 
ignore. 

"  Where  you  go,  I  go  with  you,"  he  was  hear- 
ing. 

He  stepped  before  her  and  rested  his  hands  on 
the  table  at  her  side. 

"  Flout  me !  "  she  said,  doing  her  best  to  be  the 
saucy  Julie  of  old.  "You  have  only  a  minute 
left  to  do  it.  Go  on.  Laugh !  "  But  her  head 
drooped  forward  in  time  to  meet  the  hands  that 
lightly  pressed  it  to  his  shoulder. 

"  Julie,  dear,  it's  only  a  minute  for  me.  The 
last  minute  left  me,  the  only  one  worth  living ! 
It's  strange!  And  yet  I'm  glad.  You're  saved 
from  tossing  away  that  sweet  self  of  yours  on 
me!  Do  you  remember,  I  told  you,  once,  that  a 
man  had  lived  if  a  woman  so  much  as  gave  him 
a  kindly  thought?  Well " 

Up  came  the  curly  head  with  a  toss.  Two 
burning  eyes  looked  him  over.  Two  cheeks 
swept  near,  till  he  felt  the  heat  of  them.  Two 
lips  placed  themselves  squarely  before  him,  and 
said  it  all,  in  three  words :  "  Here  I  am !  "  Her 
hands  came  up  to  his  shoulders.  "  Take  me ! 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       309 

Keep  me !  "  Her  head  fell  forward.  "  Where  is 
your  courage,  Canardin!"  She  kissed  him. 
And  quickly  buried  her  face  in  her  cloak.  "  You 
don't  know  how,"  came  the  smothered  words 
from  there.  "  I'm  so  glad.  It  will  be  so  won- 
derful to  teach  you !  " 

There  she  pushed  him  from  her  and  might  have 
been  Canardin  himself  for  quickness  of  thinking 
and  resource. 

"  Now  then !  Your  plans,  this  instant !  You 
see  a  way  out,  of  course!  For  yourself.  But 
now  your  troubles  begin.  You've  me  to  think 
of!" 

"Listen,  Julie!" 

Outside,  at  that  very  corner,  came  noise  of  fly- 
ing feet,  yells,  the  scream  of  a  man  in  fear  for  his 
life,  and  his  pleadings. 

"  Don't,  don't !  Let  me  off,  and  I'll  tell !  I'm 
not  the  one !  I  know  where  he  went !  I'll  show 
you !  Let  me  off,  and  I'll  show  you !  I  swear  I 
will !  "  A  hand  probably  clapped  itself  over  the 
weakening  lips,  or  windpipe.  The  cries  died  in  a 
gurgle,  the  footsteps  faded  away. 

"  Poor  devils !  "  said  Canardin.  "  That's  how 
it  will  go  with  them !  To  the  nearest  tree  with 
them ! " 

Till  the  last  thump  of  footsteps  died  away  on 


310       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

the  turf  they  listened.  Then  Julie  stepped  quiv- 
ering down  from  her  perch — not,  either,  in  the 
quiver  of  fear.  Otherwise  than  in  mere  physical 
presence  she  was  distinctly  with  Canardin  now. 
"  They  dare  to  do  that?  "  she  blazed.  "  I'll  fight 
that  myself!  I'll  be  your  lieutenant!  I'll  get 
you  others !  Hundreds  of  them !  " 

"  Hush,  please !  "  Canardin  warned. 

Another  party  of  searchers  could  be  heard  out- 
side, feeling  at  the  barred  shutters.  Again  Julie 
and  Canardin  listened  without  breathing.  Fi- 
nally the  party  moved  away. 

"  They'll  have  better  luck  by  daylight,"  said 
Canardin  grimly.  Suddenly  he  turned  to  the 
girl  and  spoke  rapidly.  "  The  time  has  come. 
It  is  hard.  Your  defiance  is  adorable.  But  this 
is  serious.  While  there  is  time,  go  back  to  C4- 
cile.  Adieu,  Julie."  He  held  out  his  hand. 
"  For  now." 

She  drew  herself  up,  for  answer. 

"  I  command  it.  I  implore  it,  then !  Another 
time " 

"  I  do  not  budge,"  she  cut  him  short.  And 
came  to  him  and  grasped  his  arms.  "  See  here ! 
You're  not  going  to  toss  away  that  life  of  yours, 
either!  Bun  from  this  treacherous  crew?  Be 
hounded  forever  by  such?  My  Canardin?  We'll 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       311 

go  straight  to  Paris  and  beat  them  on  their  own 
ground !  Now,  think  how  it's  to  be  done !  You 
supply  the  wits.  C6cile  and  I  will  find  the 
rest!" 

It  was  a  brave  speech — instantly  recanted  by 
the  speaker.  "  No,  no !  My  own ! "  She  was  in 
his  arms,  in  a  tremble.  "Do  you  hear  them? 
They  are  too  many  for  you.  We  must  save  you 
from  that !  You  must  let  us  owe  you  that !  I'll 
go  to  Cecile.  If  she  takes  her  stand  with  me 
beside  you,  we'll  see  how  they  dare  touch  you ! " 

A  low  laugh  interrupted  them.  Julie  turned. 
A  door  behind  her  had  opened.  A  figure  stood 
in  the  opening,  a  black  silhouette  against  the 
light  of  a  lantern  in  the  hands  of  another 
figure  behind  him,  with  other  searchers  visible 
in  the  rear.  In  a  blind  impulse  to  do  some- 
thing, Julie  leaped  toward  the  table  and 
hurled  an  iron  skillet.  It  crashed  with  a 
clang  against  the  wall  above  the  intruder's 
head.  And  of  a  sudden  Julie  Lecoigneux 
acquired  the  cunning  of  Canardin's  outlaw 
world,  as  if  she  had  herself  been  bred  in  it.  One 
clang  had  taught  her.  As  fast  as  she  could,  she 
created  others.  Half  a  dozen  basins  stood  handy 
on  the  table.  As  if  madly  and  blindly  in  fear, 
she  flung  them  all.  Canardin,  she  had  noticed 


312       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

instantly  out  of  the  corner  of  her  eye,  had  van- 
ished. Wherever  he  was,  whatever  his  move- 
ments, they  needed  the  cover  of  noise.  She  made 
it  for  him. 

"  Stop,  stop ! "  she  recognized  the  voice  of  Ar- 
mand  de  Lavallais,  as  he  frantically  dodged  one 
last  pail  she  tossed  at  his  head.  "  Be  quiet,  you 
numbskull !  "  The  party  came  in  with  their  lan- 
terns, CScile  the  last.  "  Have  you  seen  him? 
Was  he  here?  " 

"  Who?  "  asked  Julie,  in  as  deep  a  voice  as  she 
could  muster. 

"  Canardin,"  said  Lavallais. 

"And  Mademoiselle  Lecoigneux  with  him, 
most  likely,"  Ce"cile  added,  uselessly  enough. 
For  the  frightened  young  boy,  as  they  supposed 
him  to  be  till  the  astonished  party  examined  his 
fallen  body  with  their  lanterns,  had  waited  only 
long  enough  to  hear  a  reassuring  pebble  dropped 
down  the  chimney,  and  then  had  fainted. 


CHAPTER  XX 

'"pHAT  night,  it  is  only  true  to  say,  marked 
•*•  the  end  of  Canardin  once  and  for  all.  The 
correctness  of  this  is  in  no  way  affected  by  the 
few  swift  facts  that  followed.  In  half  an  hour 
strange  hands  had  only  partly  revived  the  wilted 
Julie  and  borne  her  up  the  stair  from  the  scul- 
lery. At  the  top  of  the  flight,  however,  she  came 
to  herself  with  great  despatch,  at  the  sound  of 
high  words  on  the  floor  still  above.  Forgetful 
of  a  costume  apt  to  stir  remark,  she  tore  from 
the  arms  of  the  doctors  who  bore  her  and  flew  to 
the  point  where  four  familiar  voices  were  shout- 
ing at  once. 

In  the  room  where  Canardin  had  but  lately 
entertained  Ce"cile  and  herself,  Trevours  was 
holding  court  for  the  guilty  who  lived,  and  an 
inquest  over  the  celebrated  quarry  he  regarded 
as  already  as  good  as  dead.  Still  nursing  his 
broken  wrist,  Morbihan  sat  with  a  contented  grin 
and  abetted  him. 

The  Governor  of  Paris,  assured  of  his  dignities 


314       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

again,  declaimed  magnificently.  "As  for  that 
monster  Canardin,  he  dies  at  the  nearest  post, 
the  moment  I've  got  him.  But  as  for  you,  Mon- 
sieur de  Lavallais  " — a  thick  finger  shot  out  at 
the  mortified  Armand — "  what  shall  you  have  to 
say,  to  your  friends,  to  your  judge,  to  your  King, 
to  France,  when  I  have  stated  the  charges  against 
you!  Not  laxity  in  office  alone!  A  procureur- 
general  of  France,  the  recipient  of  a  thousand 
stolen  pistoles,  from  the  notorious  Canardin 
himself !  And  you,  Mademoiselle  de  Grammont, 
conniving  at  his  escape!  Yet  you  complain  be- 
cause I  have  had  to  arrest  you ! " 

In  a  word,  Trevours  was  enjoying  life.  Crim- 
son with  indignation,  bursting  with  fury,  a  thou- 
sand blistering  replies  on  her  lips,  Ce"cile  was 
helpless  against  the  blast  of  sound. 

The  sound  ceased  with  some  suddenness,  nev- 
ertheless. At  the  precise  moment  when  Trevours 
cut  himself  short  in  the  middle  of  a  word, 
shocked  by  the  sight  of  Julie  Lecoigneux  at  the 
open  door,  a  closed  one  to  the  rear  of  him  was 
violently  slammed.  The  jar  of  it  fixed  the  atten- 
tion of  all  five  of  them  on  the  figure  of  Canardin, 
just  emerged  from  his  private  chamber,  in  re- 
splendent dress  again,  and  quite  unarmed. 

"  Permit  me,  ladies  and  gentlemen,"  he  quietly 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       315 

spoke  into  their  startled  silence.  "HI  mistake 
not,  one  of  us  here  is  on  the  point  of  making  an 
ass  of  himself.  I  hope  I  am  not  too  late  to  pre- 
vent the  scandal.  Certain  other  apologies  are  due. 
I  have  had  a  weakness  for  amusement.  When 
that  comes  to  the  point  of  annoyance  to  my 
friends,  the  thing  has  been  overdone.  The  farce 
has  been  over-played.  After  his  excursion  to 
Versailles  " — Canardin  turned  to  Trevours — 
"  the  Governor  of  Paris  will  be  the  first  to  agree 
with  me.  But  a  moment  ago  " — he  came  up  to 
C4cile — "  I  committed  the  very  worst  of  my 
crimes.  I  forgot  my  parole  to  a  lady.  Is  it  too 
late  to  make  amends?  " 

"  It  isn't  true ! "  a  cry  cut  him  short,  and  in  all 
her  boyish  garb  Julie  Lecoigneux  threw  herself 
into  the  scene.  "It's  only  his  jest!  He's  giv- 
ing himself  up  to  save  his  men  from  this 

The  rest  she  expressed  in  action.  Altogether  she 
filled  Trevours's  thick  skull  to  bursting  with 
novel  emotions  as  she  flung  herself  upon  him 
with  flying  and  vengeful  fingers. 

What,  however,  were  two  mere  women  against 
three  officials  of  France,  not  to  think  of  the  con- 
siderable army  brought  there  by  Trevours?  Now 
that  he  had  obligingly  placed  himself  in  their 
hands,  they  forthwith  arrested  Canardin,  and 


316       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

that  very  night  haled  their  prize  to  Paris  and 
into  the  Bastille. 

In  vain  Canardin  himself  protested  on  one 
point.  In  vain  he  raised  the  condition  that,  in 
return  for  saving  them  further  years  of  the  chase, 
they  owed  him  the  favor  of  amnesty  for  his  will- 
ing followers.  The  Governor  of  Paris  refused 
to  waive  his  prerogative  of  hanging  whom  he 
pleased,  as  the  law  directed.  Finding  himself  so 
strongly  backed  by  military  logic,  De  Lavallais 
himself  concurred  in  this.  Thus  was  achieved 
the  end  of  Canardin. 

Yet  while  there  is  about  military  argument 
that  logic  and  immediacy  which  delights  the 
masculine  mind,  there  is  about  feminine  illogic  a 
dogged  pertinacity  which  men  may  well  wait  long 
to  ridicule.  A  lady  who  loves  becomes  a  power 
that  it  is  well  to  respect,  and  Cecile  de  Gram- 
mont  herself  was  a  power  without  the  aid  of  any 
such  emotion  as  that  which  fired  the  bosom  of 
Julie  Lecoigneux.  Kings  cannot  withstand  them. 
Not  even  Louis  the  Great  could  hold  out  against 
this  pair. 

It  is  said  that  when  His  Majesty  finally  had 
brought  from  the  Bastille  into  his  august  pres- 
ence at  Versailles  a  certain  Monsieur  Eugene  de 
Bonnefois,  he  looked  long  into  the  proud  eyes  of 


THE  GALLANT  ROGUE       317 

the  man  who  stood  before  him,  and  said  then, 
simply,  perhaps  because  the  two  spirits  under- 
stood something  of  each  other : 

"  You-u  rascal ! " 

It  is  also  said  that,  after  His  Majesty  had  lis- 
tened to  the  most  exhaustive  representations  in 
the  interest  of  Monsieur  de  Bonnefois  on  the  part 
of  the  granddaughter  of  that  one-time  pillar  of 
the  realm,  the  Marechal  de  Grammont,  the  argu- 
ment which  after  all  had  disposed  the  King  to 
clemency  came  from  another  advocate,  and  was 
exceedingly  brief. 

A  certain  young  lady  dight  Julie  Lecoigneux 
was  also  summoned  to  Versailles  to  speak  a  word 
for  Monsieur  de  Bonnefois.  They  say  that,  hear- 
ing her  last  of  all,  the  King  asked,  wearily : 

"  Why  do  you  ask  this  man's  life?  " 

And  she  answered,  "  Because  I  love  him,  Sire  " 
— which  is  reported  to  have  settled  the  matter,  as 
was  proper. 

It  is  this,  perhaps,  which  accounts  for  certain 
scandalous  rumors  that  soon  affixed  themselves 
forever  to  the  name  of  Monsieur  de  Bonnefois. 
These  have  it  that  so  soon  as  his  visit  to  the 
chateau  of  Mademoiselle  Cecile  de  Grammont, 
whither  he  had  taken  his  bride  on  their  way  to 
assume  by  appointment  the  Governorship  of  Lor- 


318       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

raine,  even  then  lie  had  come  completely  under 
the  thumb  of  his  spirited  wife.  They  say  it  was 
utterly  beyond  belief,  the  power  she  exerted  over 
him. 

If,  for  instance,  he  thieved  from  her  so  much 
as  a  kiss,  and  she  wanted  the  property  instantly 
restored  to  her,  she  had  only  to  cock  on  one  side 
her  mass  of  black  ringlets  and  say  to  him  sternly : 

"Canardin!  " 


THE  END 


318       THE  GALLANT  ROGUE 

raine,  even  then  lie  had  come  completely  under 
the  thumb  of  his  spirited  wife.  They  say  it  was 
utterly  beyond  belief,  the  power  she  exerted  over 
him. 

If,  for  instance,  he  thieved  from  her  so  much 
as  a  kiss,  and  she  wanted  the  property  instantly 
restored  to  her,  she  had  only  to  cock  on  one  side 
her  mass  of  black  ringlets  and  say  to  him  sternly : 

"Canardin!  " 


THE  END 


03S, 


A  splendid  novel  of  life  in  the  open,  of  blood-stirring  adventure, 

and  of  a  brave  man  inspired  by  the  love  of  a  splendid  woman, 

winning  out  against  long  odds. 


THE  STRENGTH  OF 
THE  PINES 


By  EDISON  MARSHALL 

With  frontispiece  by  W.  Herbert  Dunton. 
12  mo.        Cloth. 


An  Oregon  mountain  feud  supplies  the  theme  of  Mr.  Marshall's 
new  novel,  in  which  he  displays  his  intimate  knowledge  of  the 
great  out-of-doors  and  the  denizens  of  the  forest  with  the  same 
sure  touch  which  made  "The  Voice  of  the  Pack"  one  of  the  most 
noteworthy  of  last  year's  books.  Here  again  a  man  of  mountain 
stock,  educated  in  the  cities,  naturally  takes  up  the  ways  of 
the  men  of  the  wilderness  when  he  is  projected  into  its  life  by 
his  desire  to  solve  a  mystery  of  his  boyhood.  Bruce  Duncan's 
return  to  Trail's  End  renews  the  feud  in  which  his  father  had 
been  killed,  in  which  Bruce  and  his  childhood  playmate,  Linda, 
are  menaced  by  the  evil  Turner  clan,  with  the  forces  of  the  wilder- 
ness an  impartial  and  important  factor.  "The  Killer,"  master  of 
the  pine  forests,  —  an  enormous,  fearless  grizzly,  the  last  of 
his  race  in  these  windswept  mountain  ranges,  —  dominates  more 
than  one  scene  between  the  fighting  humans  whom  he  hates  and 
hunts.  "The  Strength  of  the  Pines"  is  a  splendid  novel  of  life 
in  the  open,  of  blood-stirring  adventure  and  of  a  brave  man, 
inspired  by  the  love  of  a  splendid  woman,  winning  out  against 
long  odds. 


LITTLE,  BROWN  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS 

34  BEACON  STREET,  BOSTON 


11  lUfill I 

3 1158 "0021 7  2236 


A    000  040  392    3 


